Gov't hiring more attorneys for JCF in bid to secure more plea bargains

By Halshane Burke    

 

The government is hiring more attorneys for the Jamaica Constabulary Force in a bid to secure more plea bargains.

 

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck says for plea bargaining to be effective, the evidence presented must be overwhelming to make an airtight case against the accused.

 

He says, at present, the take up of plea bargaining agreements is low because there is insufficient evidence to convict the accused.

 

The Justice Minister says with the push towards ensuring that the case file is indisputable, the current dependence on the accused to plead guilty is reduced.

 

"We have decided to employ up to 20 attorneys; I think we have gone about 17 attorneys, who will work with the investigators to ensure that the files are properly put together, that they become watertight, you get all the witnesses that are available to give their evidence, get the forensic reporting, get the ballistic reporting, everything so that once it is put together and present it to the accused, you know that the case is likely to end up in conviction.

 

"If the case is weak, it is the duty of the prosecution to say we shouldn't move forward, there's no case. So there are many cases where the evidence is exceptionally weak. It is very unfortunate that the prosecution should just keep going on and on. So in those cases, the prosecution must make judgment or offer a lesser offence," he said. 

 

The Justice Minister is encouraging business operators and homeowners to invest in closed circuit television (CCTV) systems.

 

Minister Chuck said the use of footage from these systems has aided in the capture and prosecution of criminals. 

 

"It is a good security because we have to put the criminals on the back foot. If as a country, decent law-abiding folks like us don't put the criminals on the back foot, it won't be long before little by little, they start to overwhelm us. We must be smarter than the criminals. Yes, when we catch them, we want them to come and plea bargain because evidence will be so strong against them. But the best way is to get the material evidence to put them away.... And CCTV camera is one way," he proposed. 

 

Mr. Chuck was addressing a meeting of the Rotary Club of St. Andrew North on Wednesday.