Member of Parliament Asot Michael has asked that Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh recuse herself from a matter involving him, and now before the Court, and has reportedly had his wish granted.
Reports are that MP Michael, through one of his attorneys – Hugh Marshall, Jr. – has written to Walsh, making the request ahead of the September 21st resumption of the matter.
The letter, dated September 14, 2020, asks the Chief Magistrate to immediately remove herself from the proceedings involving claimant Chuka Lewis against Michael, stating that it is not appropriate for Walsh to continue exercising her judicial function in the matter.
This position apparently stems from Walsh’s action in issuing a bench warrant for Michael, who reportedly failed to show up for the case on three prior occasions.
Marshall’s letter says her action undermined the necessary “perception of the administration of justice as independent and untainted by bias, whether conscious or unconscious bias.”
REAL News is reliably informed that the case has now been transferred to Magistrate Dexter Wason, who presides over the Traffic Court.
Last week, Michael failed to show up for the civil case in which Lewis is claiming thousands of dollars for work done at the MP’s Dry Hill property.
Michael had his doctor issue a sick-leave certificate on his behalf, and this was presented in court by his attorney, Marshall. However, the Chief Magistrate refused to accept the document. Instead, she summoned the medical practitioner to court, where he was questioned about the MP’s condition.
Reportedly, the doctor confirmed that Michael was, in fact, suffering from a medical condition, but added that it should not have prevented him from attending court.
At this point, the warrant was issued for Michael, who showed up to court the following day, at which time it was withdrawn.
However, the MP – who has been battling bad press since he was detained for questioning by London Police in 2017 – says the Magistrate’s action has damaged the image he has been trying to rebuild with the help of a public relations he hired.
