JUSTICE Franklyn Holder inspected the Guard of Honour and took the salute during a March Past at the opening of the January criminal sessions of the Demerara Assizes on Tuesday. Standing on the dais in South Road, Georgetown, he was one of two judges assigned, the other being Justice Dawn Gregory.
Together they are expected to hear a list of 226, including 67 murder, 23 manslaughter, 40 carnal knowledge and 31 rape cases.
However, none of the trials got started the same day.
The Stewartville murder case, in which Peter Ray Kassim alias ‘Donkey’ and Satanand Sahadeo called ‘Boyso’
are accused of unlawfully killing Vishnu Santie, on June 29, 2005, was scheduled to begin but did not because, while defence
counsel Hukumchand, for Kassim, was ready, Sahadeo was unrepresented.
Efforts were since made to have counsel assigned to Sahadeo and the adjournment was taken to today, as prisoners charged with the capital offence must be represented by a lawyer.
Prosecuting before Justice Holder are State Prosecutors Judith Gildharie Mursalin and Renita Singh and in front of Justice Gregory is State Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford.