MARGIBI COUNTY — Jury selection begins today, August 13, in Liberia's high-profile US$317 million drug trafficking trial amid concerns over how jurors will be securely sequestered because the 13th Judicial Circuit Court lacks a dedicated facility for them.
Resident Circuit Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie disclosed the logistical challenge Monday during his opening charge for the August Term of Court, saying the Judiciary will have to secure a hotel in Kakata and provide meals for jurors selected to hear the case.
"The Judiciary will therefore have to secure a hotel in Kakata and arrange meals for the jurors during the trial. Since there is no sequestration room for the 13th Judicial Circuit of Margibi County, the Judiciary must locate a hotel in Kakata and hire caterers for the purpose of sequestrating the trial jurors, who are judges of the facts," Willie said.
According to the judge, the Court Administrator has assured him that the necessary arrangements will be made.
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The disclosure comes as the court prepares for jury selection Thursday in the major narcotics case. The selection of jurors is expected to clear the way for the full trial.
Sequestration is intended to isolate jurors from outside influence during sensitive trials and protect the integrity of judicial proceedings.
Judge Willie also used his opening charge to caution judicial officers against allowing public opinion or external pressure to influence their decisions.
"Our call to duty should be fearless, only relying on the facts and the laws controlling in any matter. Our job does not call for a popularity contest or public clamour," Willie said.
"Some decisions made in accordance with the law may not be popular. Some decisions you will take in consonance with the law, many people will not like you for that. Your only satisfaction should and must be that you applied the laws to the facts accordingly," he added.
Willie also disclosed that he had faced threats over decisions made in previous cases, claiming there had been five attempts on his life, including an incident at his residence on June 25, 2025.
"Notwithstanding these threats to make me twist the facts and the laws, I have not wavered to ensure that the Rule of Law prevails in the part of the country where I find myself," he said.
The start of jury selection places renewed attention on security surrounding the trial and the measures authorities will put in place to shield selected jurors from outside contact or influence during the proceedings.
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With the Judiciary relying on a local hotel rather than a dedicated sequestration facility, arrangements for juror security and isolation are expected to remain a key concern as the high-profile trial gets underway.
