The perception of power defies logic, supersedes that which is decent, lawful and just

Tue, Jun 5. 2012

Editor: “‘I don’t know what I would have done. I would have shot you. I can’t imagine the nastiness. If that was in my court, I would have pulled my gun and shoot you!’ declared Chief Magistrate Sonya Young yesterday. After bringing him guilty, Chief Magistrate Young said she can’t imagine why a fully grown man would cover himself in faeces.{{more}} ‘You are lucky you only ended up with a chop in your head. You have messed with the sanctity of the court… I was wondering how you were still alive; I know you would have been shot up here (Serious Offences Court). If I had found you in my chamber, in my bathroom, you would have been dead’ Magistrate Young told Mc Dowall.” (SEARCHLIGHT, 22/05/2012).

What could have caused Chief Magistrate Sonja Young to get into such a frenzy?

In the SEARCHLIGHT newspaper of 22/05/2012, under the caption ‘I WOULD HAVE SHOT YOU’, SAYS CHIEF MAGISTRATE SONYA YOUNG, the article, beside the above quotations, states among other things:

“Had Mc Dowall attempted to do at the Serious Offences Court what he did at the Kingstown Magistrates Court, he would have been shot. On March 8, Mc Dowall had covered himself in his own faeces and attempted to throw it at a police officer….Mc Dowall, a vendor of Rillan Hill, pleaded guilty to escaping lawful custody and was convicted yesterday of assaulting PC597 Shamrock Pierre and damaging a police regulation cap, property of the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“M. Dowall apologized for his actions and begged for leniency. ‘I want to tell the whole courts that I am sorry; I want to tell the officer that I am very sorry for what I done to the government’s courts…’ Mc. Dowall said.

“Mc Dowall told the court that he was hit in his head a lot and that he dropped out of school in Kindergarten. ‘I used to get lash in me head plenty. Me ain’t really ha no upstairs..’”

“YOU HAVE MESSED WITH THE SANCTITY OF THE COURT”

“You have messed with the sanctity of the Court.” Those are the words of the Chief Magistrate Young to the defendant, Mc Dowall. An analysis of the incident shows, however, that the Chief Magistrate, by her comments has indeed messed with the sanctity of the Court. What is the sanctity of the Court? The Magistrate or Judge, or whatever the designation, is given a licence by and on behalf of the State to sit in the seat of judgement to pronounce judgement on and behalf of the State and its citizenry. That licence ought not to be given to anyone willy-nilly, but the holder of such licence must satisfy the State that he/she possesses the requisite training, skills and temperament for that esteemed office.

The Chief Magistrate is human and if in the circumstances she was the object/victim of this vicious “messy” attack, then one could have understood her instinctive reaction; but as is reported, for the Chief Magistrate not being the victim or even witnessing the incident to get into such a frenzy, one wonders what would be the fate of a defendant who has raped or murdered someone that has been dear to her.

The Chief Magistrate, in my opinion, has done precisely the opposite of what is required of her. This country is plagued with a culture of violence, especially the gun-culture violence. Her pronouncement, therefore, can only help to promote it rather than to reduce or eliminate it.

Any psychiatrist, psychologist or sociologist will tell you that there are three sets of humans that play in their faeces: a baby, an insane individual and someone in a state of senility and or dementia. Even animals in their natural habitat do not play or meddle in their faeces. I cannot think of such.

HAS THE CURRENT POLITICAL CULTURE HELPED TO PROMOTE THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE’S OUTBURST?

The Commissioner of Police Keith Miller within recent times seems to be obsessed with the media, both print and electronic, and spares no effort at bashing them, even to the point of constantly calling for legislation to control media reporting and broadcasting. The old adages: ‘charity begins at home’ and ‘follow the leader’ are replete with examples in this country.

(1) In a letter to the Commissioner of Police dated Wednesday, July 6, 2011, Matthew Thomas wrote under the caption: THE DISPLAY OF ULP CAMPAIGN SLOGANS ON THE FRONT AND REAR OF VEHICLES.

The letter, among other things, states: “I wish to draw to your attention the unsightly and unlawful bearing of the ULP political party’s campaign slogans on the front and rear of vehicles…This country has never been so politically polarized and there are many who would like to put the blame for this polarization on the part of the various talk-show hosts and in particular those appearing on NICE RADIO FM. Some people have become so overwhelmed with this type of political polarization that there have been calls from many, including yourself, for the authorities to establish legislation to govern talk-show hosts… I am drawing your attention to section 21, Cap 483 of the Laws of SVG Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act…Revised 2009.” This letter was copied to all media houses. To date there has not been a reply from the Commissioner and the slogans continue to be displayed unabated.

(2) In a letter published in THE NEWS newspaper of 30/03/2012 under the caption:

IS CAFE SOLEIL A QUASI GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT? The writer drew attention to the abuse of Government vehicles, namely those used by the Prime Minister and of a number of police officers as they parked outside CAFÉ SOLEIL, a café and restaurant owned by Mrs Eloise Gonsalves, wife of Prime Minister Gonsalves for long hours waiting on the Prime Minister. That day was Wednesday 21st March, 2012.

On 21/05/2012, on a No Parking sign adjacent to premises of the business CAFÉ SOLEIL’ a white car was parked and adjacent to that parked car, the Government vehicle G777, one of the many used by the Prime Minister, was parked almost in the middle of the road, only allowing enough space for a small vehicle to pass in that one-way lane. Dare any traffic policeman to clamp that vehicle parked in direct violation of the traffic laws. This is done even at a time when the Prime Minister is in Taiwan.

(3) A front page spread of the SEARCHLIGHT newspaper of 22/11/2011, captioned:

DPP TO LOOK INTO THOMAS’ RADIO COMMENT. The article stated in parts: “The Commissioner of Police Keith Miller has written to the DPP, seeking advice in relation to comments made by talk-show host Matthew Thomas, on NICE Radio last Monday evening, November 14. Thomas…said a Guerilla War would begin should Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves receive any money from the Court from DeFreitas or anyone else.”

This is clearly a figurative expression; but to the Commissioner of Police that expression was tantamount to sedition and/or treason, so that the DPP has to advise him on how to charge Matthew Thomas. A case not dissimilar to one in which Ordan Graham was arrested and charged with sedition for simply saying that blood will flow if Prime Minister Gonsalves does not change his draconian ways towards black people in this country.

It is one week since the unnecessary outburst of the Chief Magistrate. I am yet to hear what or if any disciplinary charges would be brought against her for “messing with the sanctity of the Court”.

Matthew Thomas