{"id":202604,"date":"2024-05-22T11:35:32","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T15:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=202604"},"modified":"2024-05-22T11:35:33","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T15:35:33","slug":"senator-expresses-reservations-over-trial-by-judge-alone-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/senator-expresses-reservations-over-trial-by-judge-alone-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"Senator Expresses Reservations Over Trial by Judge Alone Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Senator Jonathan Joseph has voiced concerns over the recently passed Trial by Judge Alone Bill, despite acknowledging its potential benefits.<\/p>

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His primary issue lies in the perceived lack of consultation on making the measure permanent and the removal of the defendant’s right to choose their trial format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Senator emphasized past promises of consultation on the matter, dating back to 2020. “We were told that there would have been consultations to determine if it should have been a permanent fix,” he stated. “I’m asking, were the consultations held?”<\/p>

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Central to his argument is the belief that defendants should retain the option to choose between a trial by judge alone or by a jury. “I strongly hold that that option should be there,” he reiterated. <\/p>

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“He or she should be given that option; it should not be taken away.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the Senator acknowledges the benefits of trial by judge alone, such as increased speed, reduced costs, and alleviating backlogs, he stressed that this should not come at the expense of the defendant’s right to choose.<\/p>

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“I don’t have a problem with a permanent fix, but let the accused be given that option to choose.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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