Ambassador Alexis Rosado’s Rape Trial Adjourned Until October 16

Belizean Ambassador Alexis Rosado’s rape trial has been adjourned until October 16, while an application to temporarily halt the proceedings will be revisited on October 15.  Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay appeared before Justice Derek Sylvester today on Rosado’s behalf in connection with that application. Rosado sought the senior counsel’s assistance after his lead attorney was absent from court and he felt he had not been given enough time to secure legal representation.  According to court reporter Anita Nembhard, Rosado’s trial had been adjourned to Wednesday afternoon, leaving him less than twenty-four hours to find lead counsel. He then approached Courtenay Coye Law Firm for assistance.  With the trial now adjourned until October 16, the application for a temporary stay was adjourned until the day before. Courtenay explained his involvement in the matter.

Eamon Courtenay, Attorney at Law: “Urgent constitutional claim to protect his rights because his counsel did not turn up for the trial. He was not aware that his counsel was not going to turn up, his lead counsel and so asked for an adjournment which was refused. The constitution guarantees to him, everyone else, a fair trial and if your lead attorney on the day of trial doesn’t turn up you are entitled to ask the court for an adjournment to find counsel. The trial proceeds without his lead counsel and without him getting an opportunity to get a lead counsel and in this circumstances he contacted me, told me what was happening and so we filed urgent constitutional relief here asking this court to stop the trial in Belmopan to allow him an opportunity to find counsel. Yesterday Mr.Banner who was appearing for him sought an adjournment because we had this matter to be heard in the High Court here. My understanding is that the prosecution resisted strongly even an adjournment for his constitutional claim an application to be heard. Eventually the trial judge relented and has adjourned it until the 16th of October to give him time to find a lead counsel. So I believe he will in this week or just over a week be seeking to find lead counsel to represent him and I suspect along with Mr.Banner. But I was just involved in the constitutional matter to protect his right. I don’t practice criminal law.”

Courtenay clarified that he is not representing Rosado in the rape trial itself. His involvement concerns the application to temporarily stay those proceedings.