Attorney Alfred Sears confirmed yesterday that the writ of habeas corpus seeking to release
Attorney Maurice Glinton, QC, has been denied.

As a result, Glinton spent the entire weekend and the public holiday, National Heroes Day, in police custody after he was cited for contempt of court by justices of the Court of Appeal.

Sears told The Bahama Journal that an emergency application of habeas corpus for Glinton’s release was made to Justice Carolita Bethell on Saturday night.

Unfortunately, that application was denied because the application, according to Sears, had to find something wrong with the face of the arrest warrant.

He explained that Justice Bethell found that there was no error on the face of the warrant, so she denied the application.

A habeas corpus is a legal remedy, which allows persons detained to apply to the Supreme Court for release on the basis that they are wrongfully detained.

If the court is convinced that a person is wrongfully detained, the court has the power to order the commissioner of police or the officer in charge of a police station to release the person.

Glinton was arrested last Friday for his late appearance before the Court of Appeal.

He was summoned to appear before the Court of Appeal at 10 a.m. last Friday over an allegation of contempt of court.

However, at 10:15 a.m. last Friday, Glinton was not present at the Court of Appeal; therefore, a warrant of arrest was issued.

But Sears said Glinton appeared before the Court of Appeal, but he came late. He added that Glinton appeared before the court around 10:30 a.m. and stayed there until 12 p.m.

According to Sears, Glinton’s contempt of court matter arose while he was representing several persons and as a result of an exchange between Glinton and the court, a summons was issued.

At that time he appeared before President of the Court of Appeal Justice Anita Allen, Justice Neville Adderley and Justice Abdulai Conteh.

Glinton was cited for being disrespectful and insulting to the court as he represented his clients on an extradition matter which has been going on for some 11 years.

It is alleged that he refused an objection in relation to the constitution of the panel hearing the case because it was his contention that Justice Conteh could not hear the matter as he had attained the age of 70.

Thereupon, he was told by Justice Allen that Justice Conteh’s term as a judge of the Court of Appeal was properly extended under Article 102(2) of the constitution.

Glinton was further told that he could not be objecting to the matter which was before the judge from the April 24, 2015 and the judge had turned 70 in August of this year.

It is reported that Glinton told Justice Adderley that he was “talking nonsense” and told the president of the court that her contribution to the matter was “childish.”

It is further alleged that Glinton walked out of the court and left his clients to defend themselves.

Following this, he was cited for contempt.

Ten years ago, Glinton was barred from appearing before the Court of Appeal for six months for disorderly conduct.

He is one of the country’s outstanding litigators and he was recently named Queen’s Counsel.

The matter will resume at 10 a.m. today in the Court of Appeal.