Prosecution appeals decision in favour of MP Griffith

The day after the charge against Science and Technology Minister Dr Rupert Griffith was dismissed by Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar last Wednesday, the prosecution filed an appeal at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates Court. On Wednesday, Ayers-Caesar dismissed the charge against Griffith after rejecting the prosecution’s application to amend the charge.

Griffith was charged with using insulting language to the annoyance of persons in an incident on March 8, 2012, at Dock Road, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain. On January 2, prosecutor George Busby applied to amend the wording of the charge from “to the annoyance of persons on the said road” to “which might tend to provoke any other person to commit a breach of the peace.”

Ayers-Caesar said, “The court is of the view that the amendment can be allowed, but to allow it at this stage would result in a prejudice against the defendant.”