A heated courtroom exchange unfolded Tuesday at the Monrovia City Court as the prosecution accused the defense of intentionally delaying proceedings in the ongoing criminal trial between Jumel Cox and Kindness Wilson.
Lead prosecutor Cllr. Moriah Yeakula Korkpor arrived prepared to advance the case. However, tensions quickly rose after it was disclosed that Atty. Jeremiah Samuel Dugo I, counsel for the defense, had filed a last-minute motion for continuance, just minutes before the scheduled hearing.
In the motion, the defense cited conflicting court assignments, presenting documents from two separate courts:
A Commercial Court notice dated October 30, scheduling a 9:30 a.m. hearing for the same day. A Civil Law Court notice concerning the reading of a Supreme Court mandate at 9:00 a.m., signed on November 3.
But the prosecution challenged the justification, calling the motion a calculated ploy to stall the process.
“This is a clear and deliberate attempt to delay justice,” Cllr. Korkpor asserted, noting that the Monrovia City Court had already issued its own assignment on November 5, which was acknowledged by court officer Saymah Gbardynah on November 7.
“The defense had ample time to notify the court but waited until 8:44 a.m. on November 11, barely minutes before the hearing, to file this motion,” she added.
With both the defendant and defense counsel absent, the court permitted the prosecution to proceed and took the matter under advisement.
The episode has once again sparked public debate about procedural delays within Liberia’s justice system, a recurring issue that often hampers the timely dispensation of justice.
The court has since issued a new notice to ensure that the Cox vs. Wilson case resumes without further interruption.
