Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Preliminary Hearing readout...

         

Preliminary Hearing Readout, Jan. 30th,2012

·      Attempt to remove Judge!

·      Objections to Witnesses by BOTH SIDES

·      UNIBAM in question as official complainant

·      Waiting for Decision & New Court Date

 

Hey Jason & Sara.  Greetings from the Belize Action Team!  Today was the PRELIMINARY HEARING for the UNIBAM sodomy lawsuit, so it was a big day…  Cram packed in a tiny Supreme Court room with very stiff benches!!  Both UNIBAM and Church supporters, as well as reporters, filled the small room, and a host of attorneys!!  Nigel Hawke (representing Attorney Generals office), Michel Chebat, Rodwell Williams & Jackie Marshalleck (representing the Church as an Interested Party), and Lisa Shoman & Simeon Sampson representing UNIBAM.  The Preliminary Hearing was presided over by Justice Michelle Arana.

 

OUR DEEPEST THANKS TO THE PRAYER WARRIORS WHO CAME OUT IN FORCE TODAY!!

MANY, MANY PEOPLE ALL ACROSS BELIZE WERE FASTING & PRAYING TODAY FOR THIS CASE!!

We want to thank you for your sacrifice, perseverance, and faith!! 

There's no doubt that this is a spiritual battle, so we place a PRIMARY EMPHASIS on spiritual covering of prayer!

The Battle Is The Lord's!  Our job is to stay close to Him and hear His voice as we partner with Him!

 

As far as the case today, it was standard Preliminary Hearing procedures of filings, applications, and objections to various points.  The electricity went out about 11:30, resulting in a recess till 2 pm.  Here's a brief readout of the day…

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Attempt to remove Judge!

        The Hearing began with a tactic to remove Justice Arana as Judge on this hearing, allegedly due to her affiliation as a Catholic, and the fact that the Catholic Bishop was present. Although Bishop Wright was humbly willing to remove himself, attorneys for the Church dismissed this as simply a maneuver, seeing that the Catholic Bishop himself is part of the Interested Party for the Church in the case!  The issue was settled in the privacy of Justice Arana's office, out came the attorneys & the Justice, and the Hearing began.

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Objections to Witnesses by BOTH SIDES

Both sets of attorneys, as in normal procedures, objected to various expert witnesses, on either procedural grounds or the fact that they were not experts.  Many other legal cases were drawn upon as precedence for the various viewpoints & reasoning for objecting to witnesses, which was the most tedious part of the day, enduring facts of legal cases from Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and wherever else, but all pertinent in the legal positioning of preparations for this case.  A number of UNIBAM witnesses were requested to be removed as they did not meet criteria as "expert witnesses."  Justice Arana will need to make these decisions…

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UNIBAM in Question as Official Complainant

        Probably the highlight of the day came concerning an issue of UNIBAM's LEGAL STANDING or "locus standi"  (the ability of a legal party to prove to the court sufficient connection to & harm from the law challenged to support that party's participation in the case).  The main point being, UNIBAM is an organization, a corporation, that is claiming certain Constitutional rights are being violated in relation to MSM (men having sex with men).  Problem is, the rights they claim that are violated are INDIVIDUAL rights, but the lawsuit claimant is a CORPORATION, and corporations cannot have sex!  This could potentially mean that UNIBAM could be removed as a claimant, however the case will continue forward as Caleb Orozco's name is listed as a claimant as well.

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Waiting for Decision & New Court Date

        Please continue praying for this case as we await Justice Arana's decisions on the objections & decisions of this Preliminary Hearing.  Also continue praying for the attorneys for the Church & Attorney General, for wisdom beyond measure.  We have NO IDEA ABOUT THE COURT DATE and when that decision will come, so we wait…  And pray…  And continue mobilizing forward!!  

 

We're grateful for your partnership!  Together we can do this!

As we have stepped into phase one of the case, we need to ramp up our fund raising for this case as well.

Please prayerfully get involved financially with this effort as well. 

If 2500 homes, families, churches, businesses, do $100 each,

We can easily & effectively pull this off together.

We're alive in this time together, FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!!!

 

Stay Tuned, Pray Hard & Stand Up Tall!!!

 

The Belize Action Team

Scott Stirm        Louis Wade Jr.          Kent Fuller

Lance Lewis        Richard Smith        Santie Valencia

 

And a HOST of over 1800 Leaders & Churches across Belize!!

 

 

If this has been forwarded to you, to sign up for ACTION, simply email us at belizeaction@gmail.com and say "sign me up!" 

 

 

 

Donation Information

We are actively raising funds to cover legal costs as well as costs related to media, ads, and mobilizing this effort. UNIBAM has huge International backing.  We in Belize have our FAITH and the BELIZEAN PEOPLE who will have to live with the effects of these decisions!!  We need your partnership & help!  100% of all donations go strictly to responding to this UNIBAM lawsuit issue, legal fees, mobilization costs, etc.

 

Atlantic Bank, BMP Branch acct # 100214590.   Acct name: Belize Action Mobilization (Dion Rodriguez bookkeeper).  Make sure deposit slip has YOUR NAME on it.  Email us at belizeaction@gmail.com to confirm your donation.  Thanks!  Together We Can Do This!

 

Belize Action Mission Statement

To network & mobilize the Church, believers, and concerned citizens in Belize toward awareness of issues pertaining to morality, righteousness, & legislation, as well as stirring strategic action on those issues.  Belize Action is a partnership initiative including leaders from the Council of Churches and the Belize Evangelical Association of Churches, in commitment to represent & mobilize the whole Body of Christ & concerned citizens in the nation of Belize to righteous action.

 

"The only thing necessary for evil to prevail

is for good people to do nothing!!"

 

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