JP calls court sessions illegal

SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine:

Constant complaints from persons who attend the Petty Sessions Court in Spanish Town have led Senior Justice of the Peace (JP), T.K. Whyte to call practices of some lay magistrates unlawful.

According to reports, the JP's comments come on the back of complaints that lay magistrates have been trying cases by themselves.

Whyte told Across the Nation that JPs who work as lay magistrate's should not try cases alone.

"It is a tribunal and it is stated that three lay magistrates must sit on the bench to try cases. And the practice of one is wrong and persons so convicted can appeal successfully," said Whyte.

The senior JP continued that it is the duty of the clerk of the court and a senior member of the JPs' fraternity to have a roster for each month and persons should know which three members should be sitting.

However, when Across the Nation contacted clerk of court, Floyd McNab, he said that it is his understanding that if one lay magistrate sits, he or she can try a case if the accused person agrees.

Across the Nation visited the Spanish Town Petty Session Court on Tuesday where Lay Magistrate Eric Douglas was the only person presiding. He was trying the case of Michael Smith against Michael Campbell for assault. Both men decided to drop the charges against each other.

- Rasbert Turner

Acres of ganja found in Portland

PORT ANTONIO, Portland:

The narcotics police in Portland are keeping a close watch on several communities in the hilly interior of Hope Bay, following the discovery of five acres of fully grown marijuana plants.

The discovery was made during the search for a plane, which crashed near the Blue Mountain Range in the parish on August 8.

The plane, at the time, was carrying two persons.

Following the discovery, members of the narcotics and special branch police combed that entire area, finding approximately 80lbs of cured ganja in two huts in the district of Union in Hope Bay.

In addition, the police also found a nursery with approxi-mately 250 seedlings, ganja seeds, along with evidence of repeated cultivation of the ganja plant. No one was arrested with the find.

According to the police, the 80 lbs of cured ganja has a street value of approximately $400,000.

However, the police were unable to place a value on the five-acre find but estimated that it could add up to several million dollars.

A police source also said that other communities in the hilly interior of Western Portland could be involved in ganja cultivation as well, but the terrain makes it difficult to patrol.

The ganja was reportedly destroyed by the police.

- Gareth Davis Sr

JTA credit union records profits

OCHO RIOS, St Ann:

The Jamaica Teachers Association's Coop Credit Union recorded a 17.4 per cent increase in assets last year when compared to 2006.

At the end of December 2007, total assets stood at $4.5 billion.

The credit union has continued to enjoy steady growth since the start of 2008, and at the end of June this year, assets rose to $4.8 billion.

Savings increased by over 17 per cent to $3.4 billion and there were also increases in loans, membership and net surplus.

The figures were disclosed by Barbara Gascoigne, the general manager of the credit union, while she addressed the JTA's annual conference in Ocho Rios.

- Devon Evans

St Catherine relieved after 4x1 performance

SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine:

Bob Marley's Redemption Song rang throughout Ewarton, Linstead, its environs and in Asafa Powell's community of Orangefield.

Across the Nation took to the streets and saw hundreds of black- green-and-gold-clad persons flooding the streets.

In Ken's Village, pot covers, pieces of iron, zinc and whatever material that could make a sound were used to celebrate, the 4x100 metres World Record performance.

Such was the elation that persons started running alongside motor cars shouting, "Powell, Powell", as if they wanted to show how fast they could go.

It was a day persons say they have been waiting for, for a long time.

"Him really mek wi feel proud again man, and I hope that he will continue, whether his family is there or not," said one person.

- RT

Eastern green drive campaign a success

YALLAHS, St Thomas:

The Green Drive campaign cont-inued its forward march in St Thomas last Saturday with a massive clean-up of several areas in eastern St Thomas. Under the theme, Treading Lightly, more than 80 volunteers, drawn from as far as St Catherine and the Corporate Area, carried out well-needed work in Holland Bay, the Tropicana Sugar Estate and sections of Duckensfield, through to the Morant Point Lighthouse.

The eight-year-old annual exercise grew in size and scope and according to outdoor adventure founder David Bucknor, the organisation, which is based in Kingston, takes pride in carrying out the exercises regularly.

The project received assistance from Best Dressed Foods, West Indies Synthetics Company Limited, Bloomfield Jamaica Limited and the National Solid Waste Management Authority.

The days' activities were dubbed a success, bearing in mind the expectation of unstable weather conditions.

- Arthur Green