Justice-In-Chamber, Her Honor, Jamesetta H. Wolokolie, has suspended ruling within the Capitol Constructing arson case.
By Lincoln G. Peters
Monrovia, Liberia; October 3, 2025 – Supreme Court docket of Liberia Justice-In-Chamber, Her Honor, Jamesetta H. Wolokolie, has suspended ruling within the high-profile Capitol Constructing arson case, involving former Speaker Cllr: Jonathan Fonati Koffa, colleagues, and several other others.
This adopted heated arguments between the defendants and the prosecution on Thursday, October 2, 2025, on the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
After the events appeared, the case was known as, and so they famous their representations. Following that, the protection was allowed to current its case, offering authorized citations and the reason why its writ of certiorari needs to be granted, whereas outlining the alleged errors within the ruling.
Defendants of their argument, respectfully requested Chamber Justice Wolokolie and the Supreme Court docket to concern writ of certiorari in opposition to the trial choose, His Honour, Roosevelt Willie, Resident Circuit Decide, Presiding, of the First Judicial Circuit, Legal Assizes for Montserrado County, Sitting in its August Time period, A.D. 2025, to repair the alleged errors made in his ruling.
“WHEREFORE, Petitioners most respectfully pray this Honourable Court docket to: Subject the Writ of Certiorari, ordering the submission to this court docket the data from Legal Court docket “A” for evaluate. Reverse and put aside the ruling of His Honour, Roosevelt Z. Willie, denying the Movement to Suppress. Suppress all proof obtained via unlawful search and seizure, extremely vires actions of the NSA, faulty chain of custody, unauthorized LPRC evaluation, and coerced confessions. Reverse and overrule the Decide’s resolution to overrule the medical report of AMI since his resolution to put aside the medical report from AMI was not supported by any medical or scientific reliance; Order the return of the Petitioners’ property unlawfully seized. Grant any additional reduction deemed simply, authorized, and equitable.” They respectfully submitted.
In line with the protection, the choose’s resolution to disclaim their request to suppress the proof submitted to the court docket is opposite to Article 21(b) of the 1986 Structure of Liberia, which prohibits unlawful searches and seizures and regulates sure elements of the Legal Process Regulation, Chapter 11.
They additional famous that it additionally ignored important choices made by the court docket, similar to Joshua Raynes et al. v. Republic of Liberia, 36 LLR 246 (1989), and Cece Netty Blanquett v. Authorities of the Republic of Liberia (2009).
“If the Movement to Suppress will not be corrected, it should permit the usage of proof that was obtained illegally [that] will not be dependable, and isn’t constitutional within the legal trial that’s at the moment happening within the court docket beneath.” They acknowledged.
They maintained that proof obtained in violation of the legislation is inadmissible, stressing that the Decide’s ruling undermines the due course of and equal safety assured below Article 20(a) of the Structure.
They additional indicated that the doctrine of the exclusionary rule, acknowledged each in Liberian and U.S. jurisprudence, mandates suppression to discourage governmental misconduct and shield judicial integrity.
“The ruling of the Trial Decide permitting illegally obtained proof to stay within the file constitutes an error of legislation correctable by certiorari below Civil Process Regulation § 16.21 relevant in legal process legislation. The proof was obtained in violation of statutory and constitutional safeguards, making its admission a miscarriage of justice. This Honourable Court docket has repeatedly acknowledged that unlawfully obtained proof can not function the idea for a conviction. See Cece Netty Blanquette versus RL (2009); Rynes et al. v. RL (1989).” They famous.
They disclosed that the exclusionary rule, firmly established in each Liberian and American jurisprudence, exists to discourage illegal authorities conduct and shield judicial integrity, including that the denial of the Movement to Suppress undermines each.
“Petitioner says that this Petition is sound in legislation, and to certify this averment, the Petitioners have obtained the certification of two Counsellors-At-Regulation of the Honourable Supreme Court docket of Liberia that the averments are true and proper in line with information and legislation.” They concluded.
For his or her half, the prosecutors, nevertheless, urged the court docket to reject the protection request, terming it a delay tactic and including that they don’t have any case.
Not too long ago, Affiliate Justice Wolokolie positioned a direct keep order on the high-profile Capitol Constructing arson case, after a ruling by Decide Roosevelt Willie.
The order relies on the protection movement and petition to the Excessive Court docket Chamber Justice, requesting a writ of certiorari, simply at some point following the ruling from Legal Court docket “A” Decide Roosevelt Z. Willie, who denied the protection request to suppress the proof submitted by the prosecution within the continuing.
“By directive of Her Honor, Jamesetta H. Wolokolie, Affiliate Justice presiding in Chambers, you might be hereby cited to a convention with Her Honor, on Thursday, October 2, 2025, on the hour of three:00 p.m., in reference to the above captioned case. In the meantime, you might be ordered to remain all additional proceedings and/or actions within the matter, pending the result of the convention. Sort regards. Very really yours, Cllr. Sam Mamalu, CLERK, SUPREME COURT”, the author concluded.
The writ of Certiorari is the first technique of petitioning the court docket for evaluate by asking it to grant a writ of certiorari. This can be a request that the Supreme Court docket order a decrease court docket to ship up the file of the case for evaluate. Modifying by Jonathan Browne
