With a habeas corpus application now behind him, Samuel ‘Ninety’ Knowles could today get a clearer picture of the legal battle he is to fight against the United States government.
The accused drug kingpin, who was handed over to the US on August 28 after a six-year legal battle against extradition, is expected to reappear in a U.S. District Court this morning.
It is possible that Knowles could today, for a second time in as many appearances, have the attorney representing him changed. When last in court, he was assigned independent public defender Stephen White after Assistant Public Defender Stuart Abrams was forced to step aside as counsel.
Because his office had represented Brian Bethel, a witness the United States government will have testified against Knowles, a conflict of interest was created in Abrams representing Knowles.
But Knowles may trade in White today for a private attorney. Magistrate Edwin approved a motion during the last appearance to have Knowles’ arraignment and pre-trial detention hearing adjourned to today while his family sought private counsel.
Roger Minnis, Knowles’ attorney in The Bahamas, told The Nassau Guardian as early as last week that the accused kingpin’s family was making strides toward getting a private attorney.
But Minnis has said that Knowles’ designation as a Foreign Narcotics Kinpin by U.S. President George Bush in 2002 has hampered efforts to find Knowles a private attorney.
With the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin designation, any American citizen, attorneys included, must first receive written permission from the U.S. government before doing business with Knowles.
Meanwhile, if the issue of an attorney is settled today, a bond hearing for Knowles, who has been assigned $10 million bond with a corporate surety, could be set today.
Supreme Court Justice John Lyons last week denied a habeas corpus application put forward by Minnis for Knowles. That application had been made based on Minnis’ assertion that Knowles would not get a fair trial over the kingpin designation. Justice Lyons had set the matter for hearing prior to Knowles’ extradition.
He also denied an adjournment request by Minnis to allow for a second habeas corpus writ so that Knowles could be brought back to the country for the proceedings.
Minnis’ motion for Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell and Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson to be held in contempt of court for their role in extraditing Knowles was also denied.
By: Raymond Kongwa, The Nassau Guardian
