Gary Seawell returns to court and loses his fight for stay of execution

Gary Sewell

Gary Sewell has been fighting extradition to the US since 2010, and after a decision handed down by Justice Michelle Arana today, he will need to take that fight to the Court of Appeal. In 2013, Sewell’s extradition was given the green light in the Magistrate’s Court, and attorney Arthur Saldivar then submitted a habeas corpus application to the Supreme Court. That matter was heard in March, and the decision was reserved. This morning, at just after ten a.m. Sewell was taken to court with a heavily armed GSU escort. He wasn’t there long. It took Justice Michelle Arana about thirty seconds to deliver the bad news.

Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for Gary Sewell

“What was before the honourable Madam Justice Arana was the habeas corpus application of Gary Sewell which was an application made to determine whether or not the continued detention of Mr. Sewell is unjust or oppressive. Madam Justice Arana did not agree that it is so unjust or oppressive considering what she was required to adjudicate upon. Many of the issues were deemed to be more suitable for ventilation at the Court of Appeal, and that is where we are going next. I believe that the Madam Justice did her job excellently and I have no issue with her judgment. I simply have an issue with where my client is at and we continue the process.  I’m not really surprised, in the sense that it’s a fifty-fifty proposition in every instance and I expect at a certain point our position will be vindicated and it’s just a part of the process.”

Reporter

Arthur Saldivar

“What’s keeping your client from being extradited at this point?”

Arthur Saldivar

“Well because again we are a country of laws. We have the rule of law and the rule of law requires that after every judgment of a court there is the right of appeal. Until we get to the Caribbean Court of Justice then that is the final stop on the legal train.”

Saldivar says that they will take the fight all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice if they need to.