MONROVIA, March 25, 2026 - The Supreme Court of Liberia is expected to hear legal arguments on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in a high-profile alleged electoral violence case involving Bong County District #3 Representative Josiah Marvin Cole and Deputy Minister Martha C. T. Morris, in a matter arising from the 2023 election campaign period in Lower Bong County.
The hearing follows a citation issued by the Supreme Court on March 23, 2026, after the defense filed a petition for a writ of certiorari, requesting the high court to review the Gbarnga Magisterial Court's ruling.
A writ of certiorari is a legal order from a higher court directing a lower court to forward the records of a case for review to determine whether proper legal procedures were followed.
The case originates from an alleged violent confrontation during the 2023 electoral campaign, when supporters of the then-ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) reportedly clashed with members of the Unity Party at Gbonota Clinic in Lower Bong County.
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The incident allegedly occurred when Unity Party supporters visited the clinic, leading to tensions that later turned violent.
According to the complaint filed by state prosecutors, Representative Cole is accused of ordering the assault of Martha C. T. Morris, who at the time served as Chairperson of the Unity Party Bong Chapter, along with Allison Kollie, Officer-in-Charge of the Gbonota Clinic.
Defense lawyers representing the accused earlier challenged the jurisdiction of the Gbarnga Magisterial Court, arguing that the case should be transferred to the Beletanda Magisterial Court, which they say is geographically closer to Gbonota, the location where the alleged incident occurred.
However, the motion was denied, with the court ruling that the Gbarnga Magisterial Court has the legal authority to preside over the matter.
The case was first brought before the Gbarnga Magisterial Court following the indictment of Representative Cole, along with Tarwoe Wolonfah and Hannah N. Kermue, by state prosecutors in Bong County on charges linked to the alleged violence.
Following the magisterial court's ruling, the defendants appealed to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Bong County, where Judge Boimah Korntoe upheld the lower court's decision, prompting the defense to seek further review from the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court is now expected to determine whether the case will continue at the Gbarnga Magisterial Court or be reassigned to another magisterial court within Bong County, a decision that could significantly affect the direction of the long-running electoral violence case.
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