Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia was the scene of attraction yesterday when jurors in the Charloe Musu’s murder case came down with a unanimous guilty verdict against former Chief Justice, Gloria Musu-Scott and three of her family members.
Juriors came down with the guilty verdict following final argument between prosecution and defense lawyers who presented their final arguments in the landmark murder trial.
Barely six months of imprisonment at the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach) the trial jurors of Criminal Court “A” has come down with a unanimous guilty verdict in connection with the murder case of Charloe Musu.
The Jurors’ guilty verdict came as a result of heated closing arguments from both parties proving their side of the case within one hour thirty minutes awarded to each.
Following final argument between prosecution and defense lawyers, Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie read the instructions regarding the law to the jury for which they returned from their deliberations room with a guilty verdict in less than 45 minutes.
Judge Willie instructed the panel jurors that the central claim pertains to “murder, criminal conspiracy, and making a false statement to law enforcement,” should be proven by reasonable doubt. The jurors were asked to decide whether the prosecution proved that Scott and three of her family members committed murder or they did not.
After that, each of the jurors were asked separately whether the prosecution proved that the defendants engaged in criminal conspiracy and making false statements to law enforcement officers and murder.
The trial also involves a claim and counterclaims by Pathologist, Dr. Matthau Okoye, who said Charloe’s murderer was a male, proven by his DNA testing. However, the prosecution’s Pathologist, Dr. Benedict Kolee, contradicted Okoye’s scientific findings and said it was a female who committed the murder. But Kolee also said that he did not personally conduct the forensic examination on the body of the deceased, but drew his findings from police sources.
The jury agreed that the prosecution has proven their claims of murder and can bring down a guilty verdict. Following the guilty verdict, the defendants were taken back to the Monrovia Central Prison as a result of the verdict to wait for their prison sentence to be delivered by Judge Willie.
To prove the murder claim, the prosecution is required to prove their allegations by clear and convincing evidence of which they agreed to prosecution.
Meanwhile, lawyers representing the legal interest of the defendants have taken exception to the jurors’ ruling and are expected to file for a new trial which is requires by law.
Yesterday Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice was a scene of attraction as prosecution and defense lawyers presentedfinal arguments in the landmark murder trial involving former Chief Justice, Gloria Musu Scott, and three family members.
Production of evidence, witnesses (human, material and documentary) by both the prosecution and defense concluded on Monday, December 18, 2023, which means they are not presenting in court anymore evidence or witnesses.
Final argument between the two parties (prosecution and defense) was held yesterday following which the judge chargedthe jurors to go in their room and prepare their verdict.
As mandated by Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie, the jurors, accompanied by the Sheriff of the court, under police escort, on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 went back to Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott’s Virginia residence to conclude their incomplete visit of last Saturday, December 16, 2023. During Tuesday’s visit, the jurors finally entered Justice Scott’s house having already viewed the exterior and interior parts of the compound last Saturday.
The jurors entered the house and took their observation notes, and as part of the judge’s mandate only the jurors were permitted to be in the house.
No prosecution lawyers, no defense lawyers, and not even the Sheriff of the court was in the house with them. The Sheriff and one member of the family only ensured all doors were opened to allow the jurors’ easy access to wherever they wanted to look.
Yesterday, December 21, 2023, following final argument between prosecution and defense, the jurors came down with a guilty verdict against former Chief Justice, Gloria Musu-Scott and her three family members.
Earlier on Monday, the prosecution (government lawyers) brought back to the witness stand, their pathologist, Dr. Benedict Kulee, this time as a rebuttal witness.
Dr. Kulee was rushed back to the court by the prosecution after his autopsy on the body of Charloe Musu in April 2023 was dismantled and declared scientifically inadequate by acclaimed American pathologist, Dr. Matthias Okoye.
The government lawyers hurriedly brought Dr. Kulee back to court to rebut Dr. Okoye’s findings and conclusions. He was examined on direct (by government lawyers) cross-examined (by defense lawyers) and also questioned by the judge himself before he was discharged.
Interestingly, according to legal minds, whenever an expert or a professional debunks or challenges the opinion of another professional, like in the case with Dr. Kulee and Dr. Okoye, it becomes a conflict of opinion and, therefore, the rebuttal witness is normally an independent or different expert who did not have a previous opinion in the matter. But in this instance case, the government brought back the same Dr. Benedict Kulee whose previous opinion (autopsy) was watered down, or for the lack of better word, condemned by Dr. Okoye, thus making his second testimony a repetition of what he had already expressed as the findings from his autopsy.
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