Bladen 12 Return to Court, Voir Dire Completed

The voir dire for the Bladen twelve defendants has finally been completed, after nine months of proceedings before Senior Magistrate Baja Shoman. The twelve defendants are accused of being involved in the landing of a drug plane near Bladen Village on the Southern Highway with twenty-two bales of cocaine, and a cache of high-powered weapons on the night of November fifth, 2021. Today, defense attorney Leeroy Banner told the media what came out of the last two days of court proceedings.

 

Leeroy Banner, Defense Attorney

“We finally close the evidence as it relates to the voire dire. The three accused persons gave dock statements and they explained to the court what took place on the day they were detained. And they explained to the magistrate what ordeals they had endured. So now we are finished with the evidence taking aspect of the voire dire. Now we have to do written submissions and the court has given us time to prepare our submissions and then we come back to court on the 17th of December, where the learned trial magistrate will give a ruling as to whether or not she would accept the overall statement and the caution statement that were given by the accused persons.”

 

Reporter

“And how long have we been in void here?”

 

Leeroy Banner

“I’ve lost track. It has been months, I would say. We have been here from January this year. So it’s almost eight to nine months we have been in this voire dire. Medical evidence were tendered, medico legal forms were submitted on the Crown’s case, which I believe could assist the court in coming to a conclusion one way or the other.”

 

Reporter

“So it is your hope that these will not be accepted?”

 

Leeroy Banner

“No, well, I can’t comment on that, but we have challenged the statements saying that it was not given freely, and that is my instruction that I don’t want to comment on the merits or demerits of that, because that is a life issue before the trial magistrate.”