As Civil Law Court Fines Management And Staffers Separately
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia-Spoon Communications Network of Stanton Witherspoon, who is currently indicted in the United States for fraud, has fallen into trouble with the Civil Law Court in Liberia for disrespecting the court in a libel case against it filed by the former Deputy Director General of Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo Information Services (LISGIS), Wilmot Smith.
The Presiding Judge of the Sixth Judicial CivilLlaw Court at the Temple of Justice J Kennedy Peabody on Tuesday July 18,2023, reminded the management and staffers of Spoon FM/Tv that one day his grandchildren will insult and disrespect some of those from Spoon FM/TV who desire to be lawyer or judge in the future, as they have done to him.
Judge Peabody made this assertion to the management and staffs of Spoon Fm/tv during a contempt proceedings hearing in which the staffers of Spoon Fm were issued a writ of Summon for Contempt on July 17,2023.
In a very angry mood, said the behavior of Spoon Fm/Tv towards he Judge Peabody and Court officers who went to serve the court order on them during the early morning of Friday, July 14, 2023 is more than Zogos.
He said every developed nation depends on the press which is the focus of democracy. He questioned whether journalist who should be held accountable because they disseminated the rightful information or news? In his mind, he said no.
Judge Peabody attack against Spoon Fm/tv comes at a result of assaults and insults on he Judge Peabody and Court officers from Spoon Fm/Tv staffers after they have gone to shut down their station following a lawsuit from a private citizen who once serve as Deputy Director for Coordination at LISGIS, Witmot Smith.
“How will you feel if you were a judge and someone insult you? We go outside of Liberia and praise other countries but we disrespect ours,” the Civil Law Court Judge asked.
According to Judge Peabody, the video carried by Spoon FM/TV in Liberia video insulted him that he is puppet of President Weah, while the Chief Justice is in president Weah pocket something which led to the issuance of the contempt against the Spoon Fm management and staffers.
The behavior of Spoon FM management and staffers show to the outside world that we are not civilized and we don’t respect the rule of law of our country he added.
“Being the first to file a complaint at the court doesn’t means that you are right but as a judge, I’m under legal obligation to issue whatever writ relating to that complaint and it was said thing I did.”
“Is this how we will the country”? If that how we will run the country, we are not going nowhere at all “Judge again in an angry mood.
When your ready, your will sit on your respective microphones and accused the Judiciary of being corrupt and insult the Chief Justice and the Judiciary at large.
“If your children at home, can’t respect you, I swear to God no one outside will respect you.” If you don’t cherish and respect the Judiciary, rulings and the rule of law, who will do it for you? You must respect the Judiciary, court ruling and orders because tomorrow it might be you sitting in the same Judge seat I’m sitting today.”
“I know I will be your topic for tonight on your show which is your right to say whatever you want to say. I’m not going to pick and choose who should be bought before the law but rather I will do what the law says. Imagine that Spoon FM/Tv management still in possession of their facilities because they refused to allow court officers to lock their facilities which is a complete disrespect to the court.
You should have allowed the officers to lock your facilities even if it with fifty Liberian dollar lock as a patriotic citizen, but you chose to disrespect the court,” Judge Peabody stated.
Looking in the faces of Spoon Network’s staffer, Judge Peabody said if God could allow people to read the minds of others, you could arrogance written on the heart of those staffer because they didn’t regret their action.
“Some of you will be Judge tomorrow which is a difficult task to take on because it places you in position where you will have to even rule against your close friends and your immediate family members which many of you don’t know but sit and criticize daily. If you don’t know any job that is difficult in this world, it to be a judge and I pray that some of from Spoon Fm to be a judge one day.
Wherefore and in view of the foregoing, the defendants/ respondents Spoon FM/ TV management and staffers are hereby held guilty of the contempt charge,” the Civil Law Court Judge added.
The management of Spoon Communications Netork has been ordered to pay US$1,000, while each staffer was also ordered to pay US$300 each.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday July 19,2023, Spoon Tv/Fm paid over US$6,000 representing fines imposed on them by the Civil Law Court Judge.
Those staffers who appeared in the Civil Law Court on Tuesday were twenty in number.
Read the writ of Summon for contempt below.
The Sixth Judicial Civil Law Court for Montserrado County situated at the grounds of the Temple of Justice on Monday July 17,2023, issued a writ of Summon by Contempt for all staffers of the Spoon TV/Fm communication network in connection to the ongoing law suit against the management of Spoon Tv/Fm communication filed by for Deputy Director for coordination at LISGIS Witmon Smith
Accoding to the writ, you are hereby commanded to summon the above named defendants/ Respondents Alica Dennis Flomo, Aaron Tarlue, Patricia Darpoh, Gibson Zahia and all staffers and receptionists of the above management hereby named to appear before this court on Tuesday, July 18,2023, at the hour of 12noon to show cause why they should not be held in contempt for their assaults, insults on Court officers and the presiding Judge herein in the above entitled cause of action.
Meanwhile failure to appear before this Court constitutes a writ of arrest.
You are hereby commanded to summon the above named defendants: respondents to appear before the date and time mentioned Supra.
You are further commanded to make your official returns endorsed at the back of the original copy of the writ of Summon for Contempt as to the manner and forms of service.