Leon Casimir of Grand Bay and his lawyer Gina Dyer-Munro were unable to convince Magistrate Ossie Lewis to grant him bail after being charged for the possession and intent to supply 322 grams of cannabis on Friday.
Dyer-Munro however assured the magistrate that she will take the matter to the High Court.
They appeared before Lewis yesterday morning where Casimir pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“I wouldn’t object… I will deal with it in the High Court,” Dyer-Munro stated after the magistrate denied her application for bail.
Casimir, as argued by the police prosecutor, was on a $510,000 bail after allegedly being caught with a 16-seater bus filled with cannabis some time ago.
According to the police, the defendant had breached a condition of his bail, by allegedly committing last week’s offense. One of his bail conditions, according to the prosecutor, was that he not commit any offense while on bail.
Lawyer Dyer-Munro had argued that legislation states that bail can only be denied when there are doubts that a defendant will not attend trial, abscond, if he is a flight risk or will interfere with investigations. She told the court that the prosecution had not accused her client of any of these.
The lawyer contended that her client had not been convicted of any offense but had only been charged, and to assume that a person is guilty when they are merely charged is a direct contradiction to the principle that “one is innocent until proven guilty”.
Magistrate Lewis therefore disagreed and denied her application for bail. He told the lawyer that the conditions for granting bail is part and parcel with the reasons for granting bail, whereas a defendant is told that if any bail condition is breached he runs the risk of forfeiting bail.
The magistrate said that committing an offense does not mean that one is convicted. He told the court that having a charge indicates that the police have enough evidence to support their claims.
“All bail conditions have their weight… if at all they are breached then the person is in danger of forfeiting the bail,” he told the lawyer.
Dyer-Munro told the court that Casimir had been jointly charged with another individual for the previous offense.
Moreover, Casimir denied having the cannabis in Fond Baron last week where he was allegedly caught by police.
“I know not to carry any marijuana or cigar on me because of that high bail,” he told the court.
I know Leon ,cool dude ,trying to walk right ,Just seem to be an nlucky Guy.
legalized it.
In the court of law everyone is innocent until proven guilty; which is the day of trial. The Burden of Proof is on the Prosecutors – if all the elements of a crime is not there, based on statutory law, then the Prosecutors have no case.
People do not understand the way the justice system works.
dyer right
what crack, is weed worse than crack, weed is busted and the creak, you hear cocain bust not creak and it baked right in the cite
Congratulations to mr Ossie Lewis you start to learn from TIYANI`dont allow those two foot monster money hungry parasites to have their way in court they tired suceed to get freedom for those drug animals is time to lock those Dyres in jail, the only thing on their mind is money they will soon be in Hell burning with the Devil.thanks God for Ossie Lewis and Tiyani Behanzin
ur turn will come god is good
THE MAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN JAIL FOR THE BUS LOADED WITH GANJA….NONSENSE!!!!!
Legalize the weed. Alcohol get people high as well and a number of drunk drivers out there causing accident…..
So legalize marijuana and ban the selling of alcohol.
Everybody will be happy.
Good Ossie.
who is Leon Casimir?
first of all i dont see why a man should be out on bail when he was found with a bus load of ganga and a man with 1 splif going jail or have to pay 450 and up
@BEN LADEN POINT WELL TAKEN STUUUUUUUUUUUPES MAN WRONG IS WRONG
Do not agree with you Jason. You breach bail conditions, forfeit bail. Period. Many of the so called good lawyers and them responsible for the high crime. Because these criminals are paying them with dirty money so they will move mountains to have them on the street.
There should be legislation in place that prohibits lawyers from accepting money from criminals when they represent them, just like they have in state and thinking of passing in Jamaica.
Remember when a local magistrate denied an individual bail and his lawyer went to the Judge and got bail. Know what happend? He was gunned down two days later.
Dyer is correct only to the extent of seeking the most favourable outcome for her client. However, based on legal principles upheld by our constitution, her reasoning is totally flawed, misguided and erroneous.
you are wrong
@Jayson: Well… let her go high court. Doh grant no bail!
Dyer is correct.