Former High Court judge, Herbert Volney, entered the political arena "with full force" in his maiden platform address last night, discarding completely his judicial temperament as he rained blows on the PNM administration, focusing on Attorney General John Jeremie.
But a judgment delivered 12 years ago - in 1998 - in the Brad Boyce case came back to haunt him. Volney had directed a nine-member jury to return a not guilty verdict in favour of Boyce, who was on trial for unlawfully killing 19-year-old Jason Johnson in 1996.
Ironically beginning his address last night, by drawing on the experiences of his previous tenure, Volney stated sternly: "I call this court to order!"
But whats with invoking the Holy Spirit man, You know that Holy spirit doesn't take sides..
The crowd went wild.
The fiery Volney pulled out three items - a bunch of keys "to the PM office, to Cabildo (AG) Chambers, to Kennedy Swaratsingh’s office" and the offices of all other ministers; his ID card, proving that he was a citizen; and a serpent.
FACE-OFF: Protesters hold up placards in St Joseph last night demanding to know why former judge Herbert Volney freed manslaughter accused Brad Boyce. -Photos: MichEAl Bruce
As the crowd jumped up with glee, he thundered: "This serpent represents Patrick Manning and the PNM! ... We will cut off the head of the serpent and we will consign Patrick Manning and the PNM to the political cemetery!"
But the ‘order’ of his political court could not be preserved as a small group of demonstrators with placards questioning the Brad Boyce judgment appeared in the crowd.
"Now we have some citizens who are walking with posters, they don’t even know what they are doing. But they are entitled to exercise their constitutional rights and I stand for their rights. So let them pass in peace and let them be gone!" he roared, as the UNC supporters started taking objection to the demonstrators.
"They are paid by the PNM to do this and this is not different from what the Prime Minister did when he pushed Percy (Villafana) aside ... Let them pass through," Volney urged.
"I want to know who paid for that and I want to know where are the police tonight? Because these people are committing conduct that could cause a disruption of the peace. And that is a criminal offence. And I call on the police officers to have them removed now!" an undaunted Volney shouted.
"Ignore these people and listen to me," he pleaded to the distracted crowd.
"They want to know why I freed Brad Boyce. They won’t hear it tonight. They would hear it another night. Let them go. I have more important things to deal with tonight ... CEPEP workers paid to do this by the PNM ... If they don’t do it they would get fired ... Be gone! ... That is the PNM way of dealing with this ... They can’t take the fire of Volney! And fire they will have tonight! Because I speak with the Holy Spirit and I speak with the winds of change in my back," he declared, finally getting back the crowd’s attention.
The small group of demonstrators eventually left.
Volney said State lawyers in the office of the AG were burning the midnight oil for the last three days and at the State expense and under the Solicitor General, the daughter of a former chairman, were creating a case which they hoped to get somebody in the constituency to bring against him, to say that he (Volney) was still a judge. He condemned the use of taxpayers’ money to do the work of the PNM.
Volney charged that over two years ago, Jeremie involved certain party members and Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls in putting together a case against the former chief justice Sat Sharma, who was vindicated.
Volney cited another case - that involving "a distinguished surgeon", Vijay Naraynsingh and his wife. Volney said the police went to Shawn Parris, who gave a confession that he killed Naraynsingh’s former wife.
"There was nothing to suggest that any other persons were involved. But John Jeremie wanted to get something big for the PNM," Volney said.
He said witnesses who were criminals made up a case against Naraynsingh and his wife. He said after hearing the evidence, he asked the jurors ‘do you believe these criminals?’ and they said ‘no, no, stop the case’.
"That case was started by John Jeremie ... John Jeremie has to go. Patrick Manning has to go," he roared.
Volney ended by training his guns on PNM candidate Kennedy Swaratsingh, whom he accused of sleeping with "rats in a sewer" (ie: with member of the Government).
"He is no longer Swaratsingh. He is a Seweratsingh," the former judge declared to laughter from the crowd.
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