All this week, the headlines and the talk shows have been raging with news about a 36 year old man - charged for carnal knowledge - who got bail.
It's news because it's been widely mis-reported that the granting of bail was based on the condition that he marry the 14 year old who has had a child for him.
We did not report it like that - because that's not what happened - but other media houses have - and the report has caused an uproar.
Two men caught in the middle of it are the accused man's attorney, Oscar Sabido and the presiding Judge, Denis Hannoomansingh.
It was reported - again, not on this station - that Sabido proposed the marriage for bail trade-off.
And he's gotten condemned for it - even by his own party. Sabido who is a PUP standard bearer was criticized yesterday in a release from that party's united women's group which said quote, "no officer of the law should condone the wrongdoing of any individual, by permitting that person a defence to his actions at the expense of children."
Today, Sabido told us via phone, he wasn't defending anyone - he was just trying to get bail for the man - and he says he never proposed marriage as an option for bail:
Oscar Sabido - Senior Counsel
"The judge did not consider that issue at all about marriage. The issue was, will the parties be able to stay away from each other, and that was established to the satisfaction of the judge. He imposed conditions, and that is how it went, but the bail is not something that is extraordinary. The bail is granted and it is not a matter for the United Women's Group to determine how the courts will view the issue of bail. Bail is a preliminary stage; it does not determine whether the person is guilty or not guilty. The issue of guilty is raised later; I am not representing that person at that hearing when his guilt is determined. I was simply doing a favor, a pro-bono case to help a family."
Jules Vasquez
"You raised in court that it was his intention to marry the child, the 14 year-old."
Oscar Sabido
"That is not a true representation of what happened. If any other media has that statement out, it's not true; it's an absolute lie. What happened was that it was just mentioned that way, as a matter of legal discussion as to what really are the issues involved. And it is a case that sometimes marriage is what resolves the problem because there is a long relationship between the parties, as in this case. A child was born out of the relationship, but it was never indicated by me, or by the judge that that was one of the reasons why the court should grant the bail. That is not true, and I am amazed and perturbed that people, especially in the United Women's Group who have a very prominent attorney amongst their number, who knows the responsibility of an attorney when it comes to a single application for bail, that he is not involved in the issues, but is simply making an application for bail. So, I am really amazed that this would be the position. It is a mischaracterization, and an attack on a fellow attorney and also a fellow of the same party, is beyond my comprehension. I don't understand it, Jules."
Sabido added that he feels a very serious libel has been carried out the court by those news outlets - again, not this one - which stated that bail was granted on the condition of marriage.
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