Jamaican Judges - Real comics

[Time]

What type of bulls__t is this? Danny boy said that boxes were present but were not counted because the keys were locked in the boxes. If Danny Boy says that the boxes were there and the ballots were inside the boxes then the ballots were present!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Peralto official winner in South East St Mary
published: Thursday | September 13, 2007

TARN PERALTO of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was declared winner of the South East St. Mary seat by 37 votes over the People's National Party's (PNP) Harry Douglas, following a magisterial recount at the Port Maria Courthouse yesterday. Peralto received 6,960 to Douglas' 6,923.

Resident Magistrate Sara James Thompson confirmed Mr. Peralto's victory at 2:30 p.m., said Harold Brady, lawyer for the JLP candidate.

Counting of ballots in the 106 boxes resumed at 9:00 a.m. yesterday and ended at 1:00 p.m.

Two boxes with ballots of election day workers, which were not counted on election day, were not part of the final tally.

"The RM ruled that she had no jurisdiction to count the ballots because they were not in the presence of the returning officer on election day," Mr. Brady told The Gleaner. Several attempts to contact Mr. Douglas by phone were unsuccessful. The former state minister in the Ministry of Local Government held the South East St. Mary seat for 18 years.

Reversed two days later
Mr. Douglas had been named winner on election night, September 3, but that was reversed two days later in favour of his opponent. The Electoral Office of Jamaica announced that Mr. Peralto won by 34 votes.

On Tuesday, Director of Elections Danville Walker confirmed rumours that two boxes containing ballots of election day workers were 'inadvertently stored' with counted boxes. Election day workers and the security forces voted on August 28.

[Karl]

It would be interesting to see how all the other boxes "were in the presence of the Returning Officer on Election Day"?

...and, is the Magistrate saying Director of Elections is a liar?

If I am not mistaken the DOE Danville Walker came on NNN and gave an account of chain of command of those two boxes...included in that account were statements claiming the boxes were inadvertently stored with boxes already counted.

If we are to believe DOE Walker all the boxes were secured to ensure integrity of the ballots/votes.

[Willi]

How can the keys be locked in the boxes??? Dat nuh sound right!

I think you mean "chain of custody" being accounted for and secure and if so, then the votes SHOULD be counted. If Peralto has any doubt, he is doing the right thing as well. It will all be cleared up in an election petition anyway, so no big deal.

[Willi]

What type of bulls__t is this? Danny boy said that boxes were present but were not counted because the keys were locked in the boxes. If Danny Boy says that the boxes were there and the ballots were inside the boxes then the ballots were present!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Peralto official winner in South East St Mary
published: Thursday | September 13, 2007

TARN PERALTO of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was declared winner of the South East St. Mary seat by 37 votes over the People's National Party's (PNP) Harry Douglas, following a magisterial recount at the Port Maria Courthouse yesterday. Peralto received 6,960 to Douglas' 6,923.

Resident Magistrate Sara James Thompson confirmed Mr. Peralto's victory at 2:30 p.m., said Harold Brady, lawyer for the JLP candidate.

Counting of ballots in the 106 boxes resumed at 9:00 a.m. yesterday and ended at 1:00 p.m.

Two boxes with ballots of election day workers, which were not counted on election day, were not part of the final tally.

"The RM ruled that she had no jurisdiction to count the ballots because they were not in the presence of the returning officer on election day," Mr. Brady told The Gleaner. Several attempts to contact Mr. Douglas by phone were unsuccessful. The former state minister in the Ministry of Local Government held the South East St. Mary seat for 18 years.

Reversed two days later
Mr. Douglas had been named winner on election night, September 3, but that was reversed two days later in favour of his opponent. The Electoral Office of Jamaica announced that Mr. Peralto won by 34 votes.

On Tuesday, Director of Elections Danville Walker confirmed rumours that two boxes containing ballots of election day workers were 'inadvertently stored' with counted boxes. Election day workers and the security forces voted on August 28.

Unno ears tough eh?

The RM is not there to resolve election petition matters. They are there merely to recount the ballots used in the Final count as well as to resolve the spoilt ballot issue. They have NO AUTHORITY to be ruling on NEW ballots never counted!!!

The judge is absolutely correct.

Having said that, the votes can STILL be ruled valid later in an election petition, which is a separate legal procedure. Dabdoub won againt Mitchell this way, but it took 2 years.

Peralto is also smart to get his injunction, as it buys him time AND it protects him from the POSSIBILITY that the 2 boxes were tampered with (unlikely, with the facts that we were supplied with).

As to who will ultimately prevail, I have no clue, BUT the real winner will likely be the final victor thru the legal process.

[Karl]

How can the keys be locked in the boxes??? Dat nuh sound right!

I think you mean "chain of custody" being accounted for and secure and if so, then the votes SHOULD be counted. If Peralto has any doubt, he is doing the right thing as well. It will all be cleared up in an election petition anyway, so no big deal.

Inadvertently?
Type of 'padlock'?

[Willi]

I heard the keys were LOST and they had to send for tools to cut the padlocks.

[Karl]

I heard the keys were LOST and they had to send for tools to cut the padlocks.

Ooooh!
Not locked inside?
OK!

[Willi]

Ooooh!
Not locked inside?
OK!

The whole thing mixed up Karl.

I pass no judgement as I dont think we have enough quality info.

Let them sort it out in court.

[Time]

What??????????? If the keys were not in the pad locked box then smaddy di have them and that smaddy could have stuff the box!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Time]

You are more explicit than the dam judge. Perhaps you should write her opinion for her.

[Karl]

What??????????? If the keys were not in the pad locked box then smaddy di have them and that smaddy could have stuff the box!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have forgotten that the Director of Elections has said all the boxes -counted and uncounted were together - safe and sound. So if custody was with the constituted and legal authorities...chain of command can be verified...then only those constituted and legally authorised persons could have stuffed those two boxes and indeed, all other boxes.

Are you suggested 'stuffing of boxes' took place? If yes, it would not seem, given the verification by the Director of Elections, that the 'stuffers' would decide to stuff those particular two boxes as the numbers of election workers and security personel voters would possibly be the easiest of all boxes to be verified...

...besides if we accept the words of the Director of Elections why would 'stuffers' go to work on those boxes and not others?

Commonsense would suggest that if as claimed by the DOE all the boxes were secure then the two boxes had in valid ballots.

[Time]

ok, but I did said could have

[Karl]

ok, but I did said could have