Judge back in court

UPDATE:

PROSECUTORS yesterday received permission from Magistrate Duane Murray to amend the charge of driving under the influence against High Court judge Kevin Ramcharan. When Ramcharan first appeared in the Port of Spain Sixth Court on May 28, police prosecutors applied to amend the charge.

Ramcharan was charged contrary to section 70 (4) (1) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act and the prosecution wanted to change it to 70 (A) (1). Yesterday, after the judge’s defence lawyers did not object, the charge was amended and the correct section substituted.

And like the last time he appeared in court, the charge was not again read out to Ramcharan nor was he called on to enter a plea. This is likely to be done after the prosecution discloses its evidence against the judge to his defence team of Senior Counsel Gilbert Peterson and Keith Scotland.

The judge’s case was called at 1 pm, but state prosecutor Mauricia Joseph said the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions only received the police’s file on Monday and there was an application for disclosure which her office was not able to yet address.

She assured that disclosure will be made as soon as possible and asked for two to three weeks in which to do so. It was also agreed that once this takes place, the charge against the judge will be read to him. Ramcharan was arrested just before midnight on May 26 at the scene of a crash in Maraval.

A field sobriety test was administered on one of the drivers and the blood alcohol level was said to be over the legal limit of 35 micrograms. The driver’s blood alcohol level was registered at 55 micrograms.

Ramcharan is to continue on the $15,000 bail granted by a JP at St Clair Police Station and is to return to court on September 4. Before his court appearance yesterday, Ramcharan had one case listed for hearing in the High Court.

ORIGINAL STORY:

PROSECUTORS today received the permission of Magistrate Duane Murray to amend the charge of driving under the influence against High Court judge Kevin Ramcharan to the correct one.

When Ramcharan first appeared in the Port of Spain Sixth Court, on May 28, an application had been made by police prosecutors to amend the charge against the judge.

Ramcharan was charged contrary to section 70 (4) (1) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act and the prosecution wanted to change it to 70 (A) (1).

After the judge’s defence lawyers did not object to the change being made, the charge was amended and the correct section substituted.

Ramcharan was arrested just before midnight on May 26 at the scene of a crash in Maraval.