Nolle Prosequi means murder charges dropped again
Charles Castillo
A fifth person has walked from a murder charge since the beginning of the year. Last week charges against Brandon Taylor, Shamir Medina and Lincoln Helmsley were dropped and before that a nolle prosequi was entered in the case against Roger Anthony. Today the case fell apart against Charles Castillo in the court of Justice Adolph Lucas. Twenty-two year old Castillo was accused of fatally shooting twenty year old Tyrone Castellanos in 2008. The trial started on Monday and quickly went downhill for the prosecution when the first witness, Jermaine Matura took the stand only to say that he didn’t wish to give any evidence and to recant a statement he gave police in 2008. This morning the second witness, Catherine Blease, did not show up to court and a nolle pros was entered by the prosecutor Yohhahnseh Cave. But Castillo is still not a free man because he is serving time for firearm and drug trafficking convictions. He was charged along with Cordell Flowers and Alrick Olivera for Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the shooting death of Castellanos. On March thirtieth, 2008 Castellanos was inside his yard on Central American Boulevard when a gunman passed and fired several shots. The bullets penetrated the zinc fence; Castellanos was hit behind the head and died within minutes. Olivera and Flowers were charged two days later while Castillo was not picked up until April twenty-third. Shortly after the men were committed to stand trial at the Supreme Court n 2009, Olivera and Flowers were freed due to a lack of evidence. Matura has been remanded to prison since August twenty-third, 2010 for the murder of fourteen year old Hellen Yu, who was shot during a robbery at her family store on Raccoon Street Extension.
THIS IS A JOKE RIGHT? PLEASE TELL ME THE DPP IS JUST JOKING AROUND, RIGHT? RIGHT?
BELIZE CRIMINAL LAWS MUST BE REVISED TO PROTECT SOCIETY, NOT THE CRIMINALS.
Why not JAIL reluctant witnesses for contempt if they refuse to testify? If they receive any government benefits, end the benefits.
And let the jury decide if a man’s statement was truthful, don’t let a witness recant it with no consequence.
A man died, and a presumed murderer was freed when he should have been hanged by the neck until dead.
WHO WILL DIE NEXT?
Where is that busload of Nuns when we need them? We have disappearing witnesses, a witness a who is in jail facing murder charges, his Momma on the outside saying he didn’t do it, two cousins murdered within months of each other & he gets to share a cell with this animal if there is a God. We have freed or dropped murder charges against as many people as we have had murdered this year already. God help us, no one else will.
What is wrong with the DPP and everyone else? It is time for people to getinto contract killing to eradivcate these bastards that keep getting off. thee should be sometype of witness protection program. I am sorry but if any of these bastards would kill anyone close to me, they would be dead the same way.
It is not on the DPP if the witnesses are recanting and not showing up to court. what are they to do. We have a responsibility to do our part in fighting crime and preserving our society. And we keep asking ourselves why Belize is the way it is well thats the answer right there. We keep blaming the police dept and the minister but we the citizens are to blame more if we see who did the crime and choose not to show up and put that person where the belong. Shame on them not the police.
For once I would like the media to hold a press conference with the Pm about the judiciary system in Belize and why the conviction rate is so darn low. We hear about shaking up the police department due to their lack of competence to do good police, but we never hear about shaking up the judiciary system to get more convictions.
What is wrong with the justice system in Belize? Why are the courts avoiding or producing a low conviction rate?
What is seriously wrong with our Magistrates, and the juries called for Jury Duty?
I understand that we cannot send every criminal to prison because there is only one real prison in the entire Belize, but if the victims cannot rely on the judiciary system for justice of any kind then we need to put the magistrates and the PM on the judgment stool for once.
It is no wonder the killings continue, while the PM and the magistrates safely sleeps at night.
I think Belize is setting a Guinness World Book Record for “Most Suspected Murderers Walking Free”.
MAYBE……..the POLICE NEEDS TO START VIDEOTAPING STATEMENTS……………….
THAT WILL STAND-UP WHEN THE WITNESS FALLS DOWN…..and this should be ADMISSIBLE IN COURT.
THIS in combination with INCREASED POLICE TRAINING SHOULD REDUCE THE NOLLES.
BRITAIN OR AMERICA WOULD GIVE OUR POLICE FREE TRAINING……What are we waiting for???
“Most unsolved Crimes”, more like, as none of the crimes are ever solved….. What’s the point in having a Police Force and DPP, when they can never get enough evidence to convict these murdering cowards? Oh, sorry, they are there to prosecute drivers, who have no insurance or road license – punish the easy targets, as it’s much safer than taking on any that might fight back!
‘White Collar’ crimes (Money Laundering, Corruption & Fraud) have even lower conviction rates – basically ZERO, as the ‘Perps’ have wealth and power!
Land of the Free? Unlikely, unless you have millions in offshore accounts, and bolt-holes to run to when the crap hits the fan! (PUP, UDP only, thak you very much).
What the heck is the use of taking evedence that is never used in court. The cops take statements and if the witness does not show up in court the day of the trial to say the same things again the case is thrown out and murderers walk the streets.
here is another law that can be changed! Is there anyone paying attention to this sort of mess in Belize? Just think yuh get 5 years fi teef coke battle and set free if you murder sumbady! Will the people who can make a difference ever take their heads out the sand?
Yeah…Britain and USA cud give free training….BUT, who will they train??? surely NOT the bunch we have in the Police right now…and i mean from Commissioner to the bottom…..cyant even pass a qualifying test fu promotion. ..and then, we get a new minister who has even made a song to help ease corruption
CRNCN_CTZN, witnesses will keep on recanting because there’s no system in place to protect ones identity, once you become a witness in a murder trial. The day you try to ‘do the right thing’ by testifying against these useless wastes of space, is the day you may find yourself, with your family, dodging bullets in your own home.
WAKE UP BELIZE!!!! Have you not seen the power of the people in Egypt? It is time for ALL Belizeans to stand up and take back control of our country!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Belize need wah Crime Scene Investigation Unit weh could seal off crime scenes ,recover fingerprint etc but we gov’t and people soh corrupted that i doubt that the unit would last….back to the drawing board…
$$$ is the LAW+WAY+TRUTH!!!!!
I read the Belize news five times a week, and some time six times a week to see the comments and add my comments, even though some time I tell myself not to bother about what goes on in the country,but like many Belizeans my age who remember what it was like even up to seventies it hurts to see how the society has lost its moral compass. And yes, from pass personal experience, I know many of the Politicians are to be held responsible for the decay of the society. Nothwithstanding my criticism of the Politicians, I must admit that if the citizens did not encourge this corruption it would not have gotten out of hand.
In the need to survive the Politicians have used the weakness of the people to divide and conquer and feed on the natural propencity of hate, envy and malice to their advantage. You are either with me or you are against me; there can be no middle ground. Belize has one of the best spy ring without a doubt, with its pocket of whispers, screets amongst company. Now all of this short comings, for a better definition, is backing up on the society and its begining to hurt badly due to too many unsolved crimes when many knows exactly who commited many of the crimes. I’ve often wonder why thre is such a thing as democrasy, when the ruling party go all out to distroy the opposition, and does it with vengance and stoop to any debth to discredit any member of the opposition; and I’m not pointing finger only at Belize’s Politicians.
The down ward spiral will only stop when the masses come to their senses and say enough is enough and take the necessary steps to correct the course.And lets not forget the true statement:that whatever good I want for the world must begin with me.
Can’t believe you all are surprised?
Belize has been offered help by the U.S and Britain for years… will these arrogant police officials take it ? NO.. if you have ever had the pleasure of dealing with the police and their statment writing you would be blown away.. most can barely write their name forget about an intense, detailed statement that has any credibility in court. Yes, why not videoing? probably because the cameras would be stolen. well, are any of us interested parties here on this blog really surprised? we few seem to want to shout and scream for the goverment to get their act together and by the looks of it less then 20% on this blog are even Belizeans,… foreigners care more for this little country more then the people themselves unfortunately… many Belizeans leave Belize to never come back.. get great educations, good jobs in the states and wipe their hands clean of this country. cant blame them when most of what is voiced falls on deaf ears.. deaf and arrogant souls