Another convicted woman was unhappy with a court decision today. This one was in Magistrate's Court where 30 year old schoolteacher Kimora Card was found guilty of grievous harm and obstruction. The case stems from an incident on the night of June 9, 2009 when Card and her cousin Vanessa Williams got into a struggle with female police Sergeant Aracelli Peteillo. The Sargeant claimed that the women injured her and caused her to have a miscarriage. The case was heard before Magistrate Aretha Ford who delivered her verdict today. She found Card and her cousin guilty. That cousin, Vanessa Williams was convicted in absentia because she doesn't live in Belize.
It's a case that has drawn quite a bit of attention because one media house was briefly charged with contempt of court for reporting on details of the case. That was quickly set aside. But the other factor is that Petillo is a police prosecutor at Magistrate's court. Today the losing side, Card and her attorney Arthur Saldivar were crying foul.
Kimora Card, Charged for Causing Grievous Harm
"I basically had no reaction from what I saw during the process from the last case I knew that she would find me guilty. Her reaction, her behavior, her anger all presented itself in court so I had no doubt that I would be guilty. I came here prepared to hear a guilty verdict."
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney at Law
"We immediately lodged a notice of appeal on the basis that there is clear evidence of bias. There were a litany of errors in law and there is certainly one clear cut case of an abuse of process."
Jules Vasquez
"What happened on that night one year ago?"
Kimora Card
"She had an altercation with my cousin, I was present and that's it. I did nothing to her' never touched her; never came close enough to touch her."
Arthur Saldivar
"Here it is that you have a police officer making an allegation that the person who is certainly much smaller in height and weight physically dominated her to the point where she supposedly had a miscarriage. But there was no evidence that showed anything that could have brought about the miscarriage that she claims."
Jules Vasquez
"Do you feel you are being railroaded by the justice system?"
Kimora Card
"Yes I am, I do feel that way. He Jesus at that time could be persecuted for something he was, who am I you know? It's obvious people can do what they want and they have the power too. I have no faith in the justice system. I am not surprised."
Saldivar immediately placed the judgment under appeal.
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