Lawyers want costs in habeas corpus

A HIGH Court judge yesterday heard an application for the State to pay the legal costs to attorneys who represented one of 13 people recently arrested in connection with the alleged plot to disrupt the Carnival celebrations.

Justice Ricky Rahim heard the matter in the San Fernando High Court after attorneys Wayne Sturge and Alexia Romero, raised the issue of costs. They represented Clint Rivers who police released from custody on Thursday night without charge.

The attorneys had filed habeas corpus writs to have the police take Rivers, of San Juan, to court and to justify reasons for his detention. Rivers was absent from the hearing yesterday. The habeas corpus application was therefore not proceeded with, Rivers having been released.

Sturge told Rahim, in justifying his application for cost, he had sent two pre-action protocol letters on Rivers’ behalf before the habeas corpus application was filed.

State attorneys had filed a response to the lawsuit and reading from documents, Rahim said that there was no disclosure by the State for the basis of the arrest.

Rahim also presided over another habeas corpus of detainee Alicia Thomas, also of San Juan. However, her attorney Mario Merritt, said that she was charged early yesterday.

The judge adjourned the case on the issue of cost to February 26 to be heard in the Port-of-Spain High Court for arguments. Up to yesterday, a total of nine people were released from police custody.