It was the cough heard around Belize - when Epifania Caliz deliberately coughed on court reporter Anita Nembhard.
Caliz was accused of firearm and ammunition charges along with her husband Corporal Elmer Nah - and Nembhard has been dutifully reporting on the case. When she was found not guilty, Caliz marched out of the courtroom and appeared to deliberately cough on Nembhard who was getting footage of her.
Nembhard made a police report and, today, two weeks later, Caliz was ordered to appear in court to hear the charge of common assault. She pleaded not guilty, got bail and will re-appear on January third.
Outside the court, Nembhard says she is satisfied that after much pressure police did bring the charge against a cop's wife:
Anita Nembhard Flowers, Reporter
"I have also refrained myself from being in the courtroom where she was being arranged for many reasons. Just so that Epifania Caliz does not say Anita Nembhard is aggravating her in any way to cause her to react again."
"But she was read as charged pf common assault and she was granted $800 bail. I am extremely happy though that the finally the department have taken my report and requesting for action seriously even though I was very hurt and disappointed in how they had handled the matter."
"But I am also thankful for the inspector. I won't call any names but he knows who he is and the other officers that actually took my report and allowed the justice system to seem to be working. I have personally asked for action to be taken from the beginning."
"Why did the police department drag their feet? Only they know. I am not even going to try to get into their minds but I know where I stand. I am not going to accept people or anybody behaving in that manner."
"I believe that Ms. Caliz never taught her for action before she did what she did. To me that was gross, that was ugly, that was an ugly act coming from the heart. I am supposed to be, like I said, today kindness. I am supposed to express all the kindness to Ms. Caliz. An apology like what her attorney was trying to have me accept, unacceptable. And I will continue to express kindness towards Ms. Caliz. But this is as far as my kindness would go. She did wrong to me and she should have thought of her family before she did what she did because I honestly had to think about my family. I could have reacted. Many people said Ms. Anita you are cool."
"She would have been on the ground. I should have reacted differently but you know what? I will not allow people who choose to be ugly. in their hearts and express it to me, for me to behave in that same manner, no. I nor nobody else to me is above the law. We need to make the department, put the department into a challenge and have them do their job."
Reporter
"And you find it in your heart if she does so want to offer you an apology?"
Anita Nembhard Flowers, Reporter
"Yes, I'm pretty sure. I honestly know that I can accept an apology from her, but on that day, that was not a sincere apology coming from her attorney. It should not come from her attorney, it should come from her woman to woman."
"You understand me, because that action is not what we want to teach our kids. And she have children, she needs to know that her children, her child might see and hear about what she did. And it could affect the children differently."
"Because my daughter, my daughter was angry, hurt when she hurt and understand what mommy had to go through. And it's not the first time that my children have to see me going through this, right? But I always tell them, me to put on my alligator skin because I have to bear a lot. But that doesn't mean it is right."
We'll keep following the case.
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