Defence Lawyers Requesting More Money For Klansman Gang Trial

Supreme Court judge Justice Leighton Pusey who handles matters as it relates to the case management of the trial that sees 33 members of the highly feared klansman gang being arrested, and charged under anti-gang legislation has appointed, Lloyd McFarlane as the attorney to represent Andre “Blackman” Bryan the alleged leader of the infamous crime organization after he spent some time without representative that held back legal proceedings.

After the beginning of the trial on Monday, however, McFarlane in the representation of the body of attorneys selected by the legal aid council has made an appeal for the payment being offered to the defence lawyers to be reviewed.

Recently, it was revealed that senior lawyers on the case will be paid a sum of $300,000, on their first month of appointment with an amount of $150,000 for each following month while Junior lawyers were offered an amount of $200,000 for the starting amount where after an amount of $100,000 for the remaining months will be paid.

According to McFarlane the amount being offered in his opinion, as well as the other lawyers, is not satisfactory since it is expected that months are remaining on the case.

According to one defence lawyer, who previously spoke on the matter, most of the attorneys selected for the trial had applied several months ago to be dropped from the case, however, their request was denied due to the judge not recognizing a sufficient reason to dismiss them.

At this moment in time, the attorneys responsible for defence have used the case of Uchence Wilson, as an example since that trial lasted for 9 months while carrying an expense of 60 million dollars.

Even though McFarlane knows that the situation is out of the hands of Chief Justice Bryan Sykes, he and the rest of the defence lawyers have asked for the amounts being offered to be reviewed.

Just earlier this year, an amount of 50 persons said to be a part of the Klansman Gang were arrested under the anti-gang legislation however 12 persons were eventually acquitted and released.

This is not the first time that “Blackman”, has been faced with legal woes, as he was accused to be the hitman, in the 2016 killing of the then JUTC Chairman, Douglas Chambers, but was freed after the alleged leader of the other half of the klansman Gang, Tesha Miller took the fall.