After rejecting thirty five jurors in the case involving former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott alleged murder case, both the prosecution and defense lawyers have admitted fifteen jurors on the penal.
The fifteen panel jurors were sequestered under the basement of the Temple of Justice building until the case can finish.
Criminal Court “A” Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie stated that after a long day of jury selection the fifteen jurors are seated in the penal to hear the case and they will resume today September 1, 2023 on the case.
During the jury selection, prosecuting lawyers in the highly publicized trial of former Chief Justice Scott have been accused of employing aggressive questioning tactics to intimidate potential jurors.
These aggressive questionings from prosecutions led to Judge Willie forcefully shutting down the line of questioning and issuing a strong warning to lawyers against further attempts to influence the jury.
Also, Cllr. Bobby Livingstone, as one of the prosecution’s lawyers conducted questioning of potential jurors, who could play a key role in deciding the fate of Scott and three other family members who are on trial for the murder of a relative, Charloe Musu, asked pointed and provocative questions that appeared to invoke emotional responses.
The prosecution questions came as the Judge denied the government’s request for a change of venue, focused on whether the jurors would feel comfortable leaving their comfortable homes to stay in the basement of the Temple of Justice during the trial period, which is expected to last for a month and a half.
“Are you willing to leave your comfortable homes to be sequestered, (kept away from your family), in the basement of the Temple of Justice?” Livingstone asked the jurors.
The question, directed at five of the twelve individuals being considered for the jury.
According to Judge Willie, was an attempt to intimidate the potential jurors and went far beyond the line of rigorous questioning.
Judge Willie, in a direct address to the prosecution lawyers, did not just express his dissatisfaction with the line of questioning but warned that the question ran contrary to the jury selections law.
However, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Gloria Musu-Scott and three others including Gertrude Newton, Alice Johnson and Rebecca Youdeh Wisner have pleaded not guilty to the crimes of murder, criminal conspiracy and false reports to law enforcement officials brought against them by the Government of Liberia.
Cllr. Scott along with her family members made the plead on Monday, August 28, 2023 in Criminal Court “A” at Temple of Justice when they appeared and answer to the indictment read by the clerk of court.
State prosecutors however requested for a jury trial and same was granted by Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie of Criminal Court “A”.
The court immediately began the process of jury selection and those jurors when selected will served as judges of the fact to either acquit the defendants or find them guilty.
It can be recalled that the special grand jury for Montserrado country, Republic of Liberia, upon their oath do hereby find that the defendants committed the crimes of murder, criminal conspiracy and false reports to law enforcement officials.
“The defendants’ action was in violation of title 26, chapter 14, section 14.1 chapter 10, section 10.4, and chapter 12, section 12.33 of the new penal law of the of Liberia,” the indictment stated.
According to the indictment, on February 22, 2023, at about 10:00 PM, the defendants Cllr. Gloria Musu-Scott, Gertrude Newton, Alice Johnson, and Rebecca Youdeh Wisner, with criminal minds and intent, armed with a sharp instrument believed to be a knife, and pepper spray, willfully, intentionally, purposely, and maliciously inflicted several bodily injuries on the person of Charloe Musu, including her chest, right hand left thigh, and left armpit, which led to her death, thereby committing the crime of murder.
Count two of the indictment stated that it was on the night of February 22,2023, around the time stated above, after the family had eaten and we’re all in the house, when the security guards assigned to the home of co- defendant Scott, heard crying sounds coming from inside the house.
As the sound got louder, security guards Anthony Musu and Zion Tarr, approached the room window of co- defendant Scott and in that process they saw co-defendant Scott, and upon seeing them, she started screaming for help saying ” that the people on us in the house!” Also seen in the bathroom with co- defendant Newton was Charloe Musu, now deceased.
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