As the glamor and intrigue continue today in the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor—with a Hollywood actress and a supermodel’s former agent testifying in The Hague about diamonds and a diva—the view from Sierra Leone looks decidedly less chic. Charred buildings lined the street going east out of Freetown, the country’s capital, with [...]
Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on Thursday July 15 2010 issued a decision affirming the conviction of Charles Taylor Jr., aka Chuckie Taylor, who was convicted in October 2008 by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and sentenced to 97 years imprisonment for [...]
April
23
2010
Charles Taylor story on TV in US (with Naomi Campbell….)
Dear Readers, I’m sure some of you saw the Nightline story last night which focussed on the allegations that Mr. Taylor’s men gave supermodel Naomi Campbell a rough cut blood diamond after a dinner hosted by former South African president, Nelson Mandela, in 1997. It was basically much of the same territory as we saw [...]
April
14
2010
An Overview of Charles Taylor on the Witness Stand….
Dear Readers — please find below the latest report from our colleagues Jennifer Easterday and Judy Mionki, the U.C. Berkeley monitors, who have provided us with an extensive overview of Charles Taylor’s time on the stand. I hope you enjoy it! Best, Tracey 1. Introduction This report provides an in-depth review of the cross-examination [...]
March
20
2010
Charles Taylor’s Defense Counsel, Courtenay Griffiths, Answers Your Questions – Part III
Dear Readers – here is the third and final instalment of answers to your questions by Courtenay Griffiths, Charles Taylor’s lead defense counsel. We look forward to seeing your comments and responses. QUESTION 15: Who is paying for Mr. Taylor’s defense? And what does it mean for him to be partially indigent – how does [...]
March
19
2010
Charles Taylor’s Defense Counsel, Courtenay Griffiths, Answers Your Questions – Part II
Dear Readers — here is the second installment of answers to your questions from Courtenay Griffiths, Mr. Taylor’s lead defense counsel. The final installment will be posted tomorrow. QUESTION 8. What is your sense of how Mr. Taylor performed on the stand? Are you proud of your case and would you have changed anything? What [...]
Dear Readers, Here is the first installment of the interview we did with Charles Taylor’s lead defense counsel, Courtenay Griffiths, last week. The next two installments will be posted over the coming days. Enjoy! QUESTION 1. Why did you take on this case? And are you winning or losing? Based on the following comments: On [...]
March
12
2010
The Admission of Hearsay Evidence in the Taylor Trial
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Dear readers - many of you have asked for a legal commentary on hearsay in the Taylor trial. We’ve been lucky enough that Valerie Oosterveld, a law professor at the Univeristy of Western Ontario, Canada, and her research assistant and law student, Heather Townsend Goodman, have written this commentary for us. Enjoy – and [...]
March
10
2010
An Urgent Need for a Robust Outreach Pregram as Sierra Leoneans Give Mixed Reactions to Charles Taylor’s Trial
Sierra Leoneans say they are losing interest in the Charles Taylor trial because it is taking too long and they are not getting enough information about the high profile case that is taking place half way around the world in The Hague. Reactions from Freetown underscore the need for the Special Court for Sierra Leone [...]
March
5
2010
Your Questions Wanted: Interview with Courtenay Griffiths, lead Counsel for Charles Taylor
Dear Readers, Some excellent news for us today. Courtenay Griffiths – Mr. Taylor’s lead defense lawyer — has agreed to be interviewed for this site next Wednesday. We are seeking your questions for him, which we’ll be accepting through until 9am EST, Tuesday morning (March 9, 2010). We are still keeping in mind the questions [...]
