The University of the Virgin Islands Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities will host the final session of its virtual Mindful Living Series on June 1, focusing on sustainable practices for daily living. (Shutterstock image)
The University of the Virgin Islands Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, a program that works in collaboration with the University of the Virgin Islands, invites the community to the final session of its virtual “Mindful Living Series,” with the theme of this final series being “The Art of Living: Sustainable Practices for Daily Living.”
This free, one-hour wellness seminar takes place Monday, June 1, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. via Zoom. It’s designed for anyone seeking practical, lasting tools to navigate stress, build resilience, and bring more balance into everyday life.
Facilitated by Nisha deJean Charles, LCSW, ACSW, founder of Buoyant Living Psychotherapy, the session will go beyond fleeting relaxation tips. Participants will explore mindfulness practices, nervous system regulation strategies, and sustainable wellness habits that fit into real, busy lives. Whether you’re a caregiver, educator, professional, or someone who feels the weight of daily demands, this session offers a gentle, science-backed path toward greater emotional wellness.
“Wellness isn’t a one-time workshop, it’s a daily practice. This series was built to give our community real, accessible tools that don’t require hours of meditation or a complete life overhaul. Nisha’s session will help participants leave with one or two small shifts they can actually sustain,” said Shamika Thomas, executive director of VIUCEDD.
People interested in attending this event can register using this link. For more information, contact Khalifa Thomas at khalifa.thomas@uvi.edu or 340-693-1322.
Community members, artists and cultural advocates are expected to gather at Fort Frederik Museum on Saturday for the opening of the “When the Walls Answer” exhibition. (Submitted photo)
An upcoming exhibition at Fort Frederik Museum on St. Croix will spotlight the people, places and stories that have shaped the Virgin Islands’ built environment while honoring two artists whose work helped preserve and interpret that history, the Virgin Islands Architecture Center for Built Heritage and Crafts, Inc. announced in a press release.
The Virgin Islands Architecture Center for Built Heritage and Crafts and the Department of Planning and Natural Resources will present “When the Walls Answer” from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the museum in Frederiksted, according to a press release. The exhibition features works by the late Gerville René Larsen, Crucian Master Artist El’Roy Simmonds and more than 20 Virgin Islands artists and student artists exploring the theme of built heritage.
Organizers said Larsen is being recognized for his vision of transforming the Old Barracks property in Christiansted into a center for architecture, design, building trades and historic preservation, a concept that later helped shape the development of the architecture center and its work with DPNR’s Historic Preservation Commission. Simmonds is being honored for a lifetime of artistic contributions that document and interpret Virgin Islands culture and history.
“We are honoring two extraordinary Crucian artists who have contributed work to the Virgin Islands aesthetic which will resonate into the future,” said Mary Dema, chair of the VIAC board.
Monica Marin, territorial curator for DPNR’s Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums and curator of the exhibition, said Larsen’s work helped advance efforts to recognize the Afro-Caribbean craftspeople responsible for building the territory’s historic towns.
“Gerville Larsen’s discourse shifting artwork and cultural preservation advocacy paved the way for us to properly credit the Afro-Caribbean craftspeople who built our historic towns,” Marin said in the release. “The work of El’Roy Simmonds reshapes the cultural landscape and challenged the exclusion of authentic Virgin Islands narratives in art.”
According to the release, artists were invited to create works in which walls “answer” back, drawing attention to the stories, creativity and cultural memory embedded within the territory’s historic structures. Marin said organizers hope the exhibition will encourage conversations about preservation, justice and self-determination.
Featured artists include La Vaughn Belle, Lloyd “Dove” Braffith, Elwin Joseph, Lucien Downes, Sy Sebastien, Regina Keels, Stephanie Chalana Brown, Janet Cook-Rutnik, Edney Freeman, Nathan Bishop, Luca Gasperi, Jaliyah Gunnell, George Graham, Nicole Canegata, Mike Walsh, Johanna Bermúdez-Ruiz, Vegan Ellis, Waldemar Brodhurst and students from VIAC’s VAST 2025 summer program.
The exhibition is sponsored in part by the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Tickets are $25 and available through VIAC. Proceeds will support the VIAC VAST Summer Program for high school students, according to the release.
Click here to purchase tickets.
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
DIVISION OF ST. CROIX
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF:
HIPOLITO R. CRUZ,
Deceased
CASE NO. SX-2016-PB-00079
NOTICE OF FINAL ACCOUNT HEARING
Notice is hereby given that Administrator, Alfredo Cruz, has filed a Motion for Final Accounting in the above-referenced Estate. A hearing upon this Final Accounting and the distribution therein proposed shall be conducted on August 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in person at Courtroom 216 of the Magistrate Division of the R.H. Amphlett Leader Superior Court, St. Croix. Any interested person or entity wishing to object to this Final Accounting, or the distribution therein proposed, must file and serve upon the Administrator a statement of objection in writing. Such objections must be filed with the Administrator and the Court before the hearing date listed herein.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
This 28th day of May 2026
McCHAIN HAMM & ASSOCIATES
Attorneys for the Estate
/s/ Charlotte S. Sheldon
Charlotte S. Sheldon, Esq.
5030 Anchor Way, Suite 13
Christiansted, VI 00820
(T) 340-773-6955 / (F) 855-456-8784
csheldon@usvi.law
Kaleem O. Iles, aka “Kalba,” of Estate Mon Bijou, passed away on May 12. He was 47 years old.
Kaleem O. Iles
He is survived by his parents, six children, companion, and many family and friends too numerous to mention.
Funeral service will be held on June 6 at Miracle Revival Deliverance Tabernacle, #22 Beeston Hill, Christiansted. Tributes begin at 10 a.m., with service at 11 a.m. I
nterment will be held at Kingshill Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Home, Inc.
Anne Marie Robert Gidharry, 100, of Boulevard Street, Soufriere, St. Lucia, (formerly of Western Suburb, Christiansted, St. Croix) passed away on May 9, 2026, at her home in St. Lucia surrounded by loved ones.
Anne Marie Gidharry
Known affectionately in “The Yard” on King Street as “Mama,” “Granny,” and “Ma Janie,” Anne was born on May 29, 1925. She moved to St. Croix in the 1970s where she worked for a time at Best Furniture Store and was a longtime parishioner at Holy Cross Catholic Church. She lived a long, quiet, but extraordinary life marked by unwavering faith in God, love for her family and a strength that defied expectations.
Anne was preceded in death by her husband Emmanuel Gidharry, sons Hugh Gidharry and Francis Preston Gidharry,and daughter Mary Leticia Gidharry.
She is survived by her children, Hilaria Duval, Monica Gidharry, Juliana Gidharry, Wilma Millington and Lawrence Gidharry; her grandchildren, Deborah Harney, Aesha K. Duval, Samantha Duval, Marie Gidharrie-Gassie, Althea Dubique, Shail Bazil, Kerriise Richards, Cianna Gidharry, Garfield Duval, Desmond Ralph Duval, Lincoln Duval, Anthony Duval, Eli Duval, Christian George, Michael Gidharrie, Cornel Riviere, Jermal Gidharry and Valdez Gidharry; her great-grandchildren, Adrian Harney, Briana Corbin, Tanna Harney, Ian Harney, Garian Duval, Ariana Duval, Zailand Jaquez Burns, Cierra Duval, Malachi Duval, Makenzie Duval-Torres, Aesha M. Duval, Zahir Thomas, Eden Duval, Amalia Hart, Dominique George, Ava Marie George, Lueandra Bougouneau, Sherkell Gassie, Anwahe Dubique, Jr., Ari Dubique, Ally Dubique, Sha’Nisha Gidharry, Kareem Bazil Jr., Kayla Bazil, Aiden Pringle, Keniise Pringle and Jada Gidharry; her great-great grandchildren, Aidan Harney, Robyn Harney, Rena Corbin, Tyanna Pryce, Michael Pitts, Jr., Giovanna Harney, Kota Harney, Sota Harney, Khenai Gassie, Jed Bougouneau Jr. and Lilyanna Riviere; her daughter-in-law Fiona Gidharry, son-in-law Desmond Duval, brother-in-law Francis Gidharry, granddaughters-in-law, Tarsha Duval, Arvian Duval, April Duval, Marsha Duval, Sharon Belmar-George and Faizah Gidharry; grandsons-in-law, Lydwinus Gassie, Anwahe Dubique Sr. and Jed Bougouneau Sr.
Anne was truly a matriarch in every sense, and she welcomed many into her home and her heart. She is survived by her godchildren, Ursula Cherubin, Mano Lewis, Ruth Prospere, Marilyn Vite, Linus Dolor, Cosmos Laurent, Jr. and Troy Millington; her adopted children, Pedro Parrilla, Brian Petersen, John Richardson Jr., Julie Regis, Cynthia Burke and family, Louisa St. Remy, Lanai St. Remy, Joseann Fermin, Makiba Riviere, Charles Leon, Zyannie Simon, Joan Epiphane and Lawrence Hanes.
Close friends and families on St. Croix include Marpha Theodille and Family, Julian Constable, Ms. Santa (hairstylist), Laurine McGahey and family, Theresa Calpano, Gloria Mulrain, Cruse Castillo, Cathy Ruan, Alva Stapleton, Jada Finch-Sheen, Trimm Family, Doreen James and family, Cheryl Bailey and Family, Trevor Elaine and Family, Verna France and family, Bernadette Pringle and Family, Millington family, Bazil Family, Clotilda Alexander, Theresa Hill, Theresa King, Theodosia Alexander, French Family, The Happy Yard Family, Holy Cross Catholic Church Family, the Sisters of Charity, Father Lynch, Father Gaddy and Father Yacob.
Close friends and family in St. Lucia include, the Lamontagne Family, the Gidharry Family of Soufriere, Saltibus, Etangs, Choiseul and Castries, St. Lucia, Matthew Saltibus, the Bobb Family, Mitchel Family, Williams Family, Mrs. Tony Cenac, Nigel George and Family, Francisca Jones-Brice and Family, Helena Johny and Family, Mark St. Hill, Claude Thomas, Theresa Henry, Laurine McGahey and Family, The Canaii Family, Loretta Mitchel, Hendricks Family, Alex Laurency, Gale McDonald, Josephine Lewis, Yolanda Jn Pierre, Anisa Brown, Joe and Stephanie Allen, Ms. Alexis and Family, Father Albert, Father Sammy and Our Lady of The Assumption Catholic Church Family, the Boulevard Street Family and many other friends and family too numerous to mention.
The family would like to thank Anne’s physicians on St. Croix, Dr. Kevin Stewart, Dr. Michelle Dizon, and Dr. Dante Galiber; and her caregivers in St. Lucia, Sandra Donaie and Frances Alcindor.
Funeral services will be held on June 11 at Our Lady of Assumption Church in Soufriere, St. Lucia with the viewing at 1:30 p.m. and service at 2:30pm. Interment will be to the Soufriere Cemetery. Funeral arrangements by Lazarus Funeral Home in New Dock Road, Vieux Fort, St. Lucia.
Senators hold an economic development summit that explores everything from disaster recovery management to the opening of the St. Croix refinery, while Elections officials manage final filings and disqualifications. Host Adisha Penn recaps these headlines and more – there’s always something new on Consider the Source!
Attorney David Bornn, left, along with his three associates, outside the UVI Tech Park on St. Croix before their hike to Maroon Country. (Photo by Olasee Davis)
A few weeks ago, I got either an email message or phone call from attorney David Bornn from St. Thomas who wanted to visit Maroon Country on St. Croix. In 2024, I had a Zoom meeting with the newly established territorial park board members to discuss the land acquisition of the Great Northwest and Northeast Central of St. Croix. I am not sure if David was at the meeting. Anyhow, it came to me that he was there. Nevertheless, I explained to the board members the botanical and human history of the forest, the culture, and the overall history of the Great Northwest and Northeast Central known as Maroon Country.
Olasee Davis, Ph.D. (Submitted photo)
I mentioned to them the slave gravesites and other archeological sites and historic structures that covered the landscape of this sacred land. In 1983, the government of the Virgin Islands protected land in St. Croix’s Northside A Quarter under a “perpetual scenic and preservation easement.” The signing of Act 4881 established an area of not less than 1,000 acres where scenic and other features would be preserved indefinitely.
This Act was established when 4,000 plus acres of the northwest and northeast central of St. Croix was about to be rezoned from agriculture to other uses such as building hotels, condos, shopping centers and the like, which would impact the natural, cultural, historical, and marine resources of the last intact wilderness area of the northwest of the island. Believe me, these sacred lands were the stronghold of Maroons (runaway slaves) where the rugged hills and mountain forests protected them and were used as a refuge for freedom.
I remember being asked by the territorial park board what parcel of land should be preserved, Northwest A Quarter or Northeast B Quarter. I said the northwest, although the two parcels of land should not be separated for their historic spiritual values to the people of the Virgin Islands. However, God helped me out. It was attorney Bornn, when he was negotiating with the landowner, who mentioned the slaves’ gravesites in (Estate Hermitage) the northeast central part of Maroon Country that the entire 2,000 plus acres of land (Northwest and Northeast Central) should go to the people of these islands.
In his text to me, Bornn said, “I am truly excited to see what it was that I was arguing for with the owner that he had an obligation to give to GVI.” The rest is history. We purchased over 2,000 acres of historic land, which created the first and only Maroon Sanctuary Park in the Caribbean region and in the world. What a great accomplishment for the people of these islands.
As David got close to the date he would be arriving to St. Croix, he emailed me. “We (4 of us) are looking forward to our tour of Maroon Ridge with you next Tuesday, April 28th. As agreed, we will arrive on Fly The Whale at about 7:30 am and you will meet us at airport for journey out to the much-anticipated hiking and viewing site. I know this is one of the ‘loves of your life.”
As I picked up David and his three associates from the airport, the journey to Maroon Country began They were in for a hike to explore part of Maroon Country on foot and part by driving. That Tuesday morning it was overcast, with dark grayish clouds in the sky looking to rain. Rain or no rain, I was taking them to Maroon Country. As we drove on Canaan Ridge Scenic Road East heading up the mountain, it was rough. I said to them, “welcome to Maroon Country.”
This artifact, found in Maroon Country, is known as a “sugar cane knife” or a “cane knife.” It was used by enslaved Africans, Maroons and “free slaves” up until the 19th century in the sugarcane fields of St. Croix. The cane knife is also used as a symbol of resistance. (Photo by Olasee Davis)
It is a dirt road that takes you between Blue Mountain and Mount Eagle, the two highest peaks on St. Croix. Those guys were all dress up with their backpacks ready to hike and explore. We started off on an old slave dirt road to Mount Eagle. As David stepped on the road to Mount Eagle trail with his associates, they were making history. I wanted to go into the history of the area, but they didn’t have enough time, as they were flying back to St. Thomas for 5 p.m. Believe me, to enjoy this historic park, it takes more than a day if you are hiking on foot and enjoying the great mountain view, historic sites, tide pools, and telling the history of the Maroons.
I reassured David that we are hiking on the saddle of the mountain and not on steep slopes of the park. I continued to give them a brief history of the site and how the dense forests of the area, from the beginning of the colonization of St. Croix until emancipation of 1848, was a refuge for runaway slaves. As we climbed higher on the ridge, it got cooler where there were stunning panoramic views of the park.
It was a breathtaking view where it felt like you were seeing St. Croix from heaven looking down on the island. The guys took out their cell phones and began to take lots of pictures. You can’t help yourself but to take in the view and take pictures. I pointed out to them several endangered species and rare species of plants like ferns and the endangered species Spice guava (Myrcianthes fragrans).
As we continued to hike, we came across a group of young men building trails along Mount Eagle mountain. From left are JP Donohue, Zeb Langeweg and Nils Hempel. The Virgin Islands Trail Alliance board has contracted with a stateside company called Rock Solid Trail Contracting to establish mountain bike and hiking trails in certain parts of the park. (Photo by Olasee Davis)
As we continued to hike, we came across a group of young men building trails along Mount Eagle Mountain. As a member of the Virgin Islands Trail Alliance board, we contacted a stateside company called Rock Solid Trail Contracting, which has a contract with us to establish mountain bike and hiking trails in certain parts of the park. This trail project is in conjunction with the Virgin Islands Territorial Parks and Protected Areas, a division of the Department of Parks and Natural Resources and managed by the Director Kitty Edwards.
I asked the workers of the trail company to give a briefing to David and his associates of what they are doing building the trails. Since the trail company has been here since February, I visit them two or three times a week by hiking up the mountain to make sure that the job is done correctly. It is the people’s park. I took it upon myself that no historic sites, endangered species of trees, or rare animals are impacted by the construction of the trails.
David kept on asking me to see Bodkin Mill, a mill almost 1,000 feet above sea level. We drove to the northwest of Maroon Country. David and his associates were so overwhelmed with the natural beauty of the park with its intact forest and ocean views of the Caribbean Sea. We hiked up the hill to the mill. David was so excited, like a little kid getting candy. He loved the park. He kept on telling me, “Olasee the park is big.” He saw the park on paper with the negotiation with the landowner, but not realizing how beautiful and big the park truly is — until his visit.
There is a lot more of the park David has not seen. Looking at their faces, I felt for them, so we went to Off the Wall restaurant at Cane Bay to get something to eat. I am telling the Virgin Islands public that Attorney David Bornn was a godsend to help protect Maroon Country by using his legal skills.
— Olasee Davis is a bush professor who lectures and writes about the culture, history, ecology and environment of the Virgin Islands when he is not leading hiking tours of the wild places and spaces of St. Croix and beyond.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
Lawmakers and older residents, who role-played as senators and other legislative officers, pose for a photo during Wednesday’s Citizenship Day Mock Senate session, where they discussed health care. (Photo courtesy V.I. Legislature)
On Wednesday, lawmakers and older residents gathered for a Citizenship Day Mock Senate session, using a simulated legislative hearing to debate a proposal to expand ancillary health coverage benefits for older adults and disabled residents under the Virgin Islands Medical Assistance Program.
Older residents role‑played as senators, legal counsel, clerk and sergeant‑at‑arms. They opened with an invocation, held roll call, voted to waive a rule so participants could remain seated during debate, and then took up Bill No. 36‑0000, a proposal to establish ancillary health coverage benefits for older adults and disabled beneficiaries under the territory’s Medical Assistance Program.
After debating the measure and questioning how it would be funded, the mock Senate voted 14–1 to forward the bill to the real Senate Health, Hospitals, and Human Services Committee for a full hearing within 30 days.
Though presented as a mock exercise, senators repeatedly emphasized that the concerns raised about health care access, rising costs and public services reflected real challenges facing the territory’s aging population.
“I am honored to have all of these seniors representing us, because you have paved the way for us,” Sen. Franklin D. Johnson said. “People may call this a mock session, but the issues being discussed are very real … The Virgin Islands I grew up in was built by a village raising its people, and that village is still here. We’re going to continue to stand by and support our seniors.”
Seniors used the mock hearing to describe how difficult it is to age in the territory, pointing to a gap between program rules and real‑life costs. They said many retirees now rely on limited pensions and Medicare, yet still fall just above the Medical Assistance Program cutoff.
They also highlighted uneven access to health care across the islands, noting that gaps in hospital and clinic services can force residents to travel off‑island even for minor problems. Underlying their remarks was a shared demand that the safety net better reflect the real cost of aging in the Virgin Islands, and that any new benefits be matched with a realistic plan to pay for and deliver them.
Sen. Kurt A. Vialet said testimony from participating seniors underscored the scale of unresolved issues facing the territory’s elderly population, particularly in health care and public services.
“If you listen to the testimony of every senior that testified, there were salient points that came out, and you could clearly see that the senior population has a tremendous amount of issues that need to be solved,” Vialet said. “The issues are immense.”
He said lawmakers have continued working to address gaps in services through funding and policy efforts.
“As a Legislature, we have been really trying hard to see what else we could do to supplement what is taking place in the Virgin Islands,” Vialet said. “We know the lack of facilities, the lack of health care …”
Vialet emphasized that legislators continue to appropriate funding, while implementation rests with the executive branch.
“The senators appropriate money for the executive branch to implement, not this body,” he said. “But it is so common to blame the senators who don’t have the power, and then don’t blame those individuals who have the power to get it done, and are not doing the job.”
Sen. Carla J. Joseph said sessions like this invigorate lawmakers by putting seniors directly in front of them.
“I really love having these types of activities with our seniors, because it helps us to remember who we are working for when we are senators,” she said. “It helps invigorate us to continue to do the fight and to continue to do the work.”
With the measure now headed to the Senate Health, Hospitals and Human Services Committee, senators have agreed to take it up for a hearing within 30 days. Seniors used the mock session to put eligibility, funding and uneven access to care on the record, and those questions will be waiting when the proposal returns to the Legislature.
Two lawsuits brought by prospective candidates against election officials and the V.I. Democratic Party were dismissed by a federal judge this week. (Shutterstock image)
A federal judge has dismissed two legal challenges brought by a trio of candidates who claimed that local political parties have flouted campaign finance laws and that the rules governing ballot access and candidate certification unfairly burdened people running for office as independents.
Candidate for Delegate to Congress Shelley Moorhead, Republican Senate candidate Collister Fahie and Democratic Senate candidate Lorelai Monsanto filed the first challenge in March after making multiple public records requests related to the territory’s 2024 Democratic and Republican Party primaries. At the center of that complaint is a section of local elections law that requires committees to submit financial reports to the Elections System every six months. The plaintiffs said that hasn’t been happening.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Savage dismissed that case and another challenge brought by the candidates on May 1, citing lack of jurisdiction. The trio filed that lawsuit after the Elections System and V.I. Democratic Party reached a mediated settlement agreement, which clarified that while the Elections System will be responsible for determining candidates’ statutory qualifications, political parties will be responsible for certifying their party membership.
Moorhead, Fahie and Monsanto said that framework makes the process particularly difficult for independent candidates, who are required to collect 200 signatures from active voters across two districts. In practice, they argued, candidates have to over-collect signatures because signatures from “inactive” voters are rejected, even though inactive voters can still cast ballots after confirming their identity and residency.
Savage partially granted their request for a temporary restraining order two weeks ago, blocking the Elections System from excluding candidates from primary ballots if they fall short of the requirements outlined in the recent settlement agreement.
In dismissing that lawsuit, Savage said each of the plaintiffs claimed that the procedures could deprive them of a spot-on the ballot, but he described those claims as speculative rather than “actual or imminent.”
“For each, it is merely possible,” he wrote, adding that the candidates also failed to show that any potential injury would be the fault of the defendants. “Therefore, plaintiffs have failed to establish standing, requiring us to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction.”
Savage noted that the Elections System maintains a publicly available list of inactive voters, and he wrote that Moorhead never claimed that the alleged “structural disadvantage” faced by independent candidates renders it impossible to verify voter status or obtain the required number of signatures.
“He merely claims that obtaining signatures will be more difficult than it would be were he a party-affiliated candidate,” he wrote. “If his petition is rejected for containing ‘inactive’ voters’ signatures, it will be due to his own failure to ascertain which electors’ signatures are valid.”
Savage wrote that Monsanto, who claimed that she may be excluded from the ballot if the Democratic Party declines to certify her candidacy, failed to show any actual injury.
“She does not claim DPVI will decline to certify her candidacy,” Savage wrote. “She has alleged merely that it is capable of doing so. That is insufficient.”
Similarly, Savage wrote that Fahie “has alleged only possible harm, and he has not established a causal connection between the possible harm and the defendants’ conduct.”
A third challenge, filed by Moorhead, Monsanto and Fahie on May 13, remains active. In that case, the trio argued that political parties may effectively control ballot access based on internal certification decisions. The Democratic Party and its chair, Carol Burke, argued that the plaintiffs conflated ballot access with internal party affairs.
“The timing of their frivolous suit, filed as candidate primary packet submission deadlines approach, shows it is nothing more than a publicity stunt, calculated to sow doubt and confusion in the minds of voters, and disrupt the smooth progression of free democratic elections in the Virgin Islands in 2026,” attorney Peter Lynch wrote.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld convictions of Paul Girard and Kareem Harry, saying the murderers’ complaints of constitutional violations did not merit a retrial. (Photo by Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress)
The United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the convictions of two notorious gangsters who prosecutors said terrorized the Virgin Islands for nearly a decade, according to a ruling issued Tuesday.
The court declined to overturn the convictions of Paul Girard and Kareem Harry, both 38, who had been found guilty in 2022 of racketeering-related conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, illegal use of a firearm, and more. In 2024, Harry was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years and Girard to life in prison plus 47 years. Seven others were convicted in connection with the criminal conspiracy and were sentenced to between 36 months in prison and 25 years. Another man convicted in connection with the crimes was sentenced to life plus 30 years.
Girard, also known as Bogus, and Harry, also known as Crumbull, appealed their convictions, claiming COVID-era limitations on courtroom audience attendance infringed on their constitutional rights to a public trial. They also claimed prosecutors had mishandled the Fifth Amendment invocations of two potential witnesses.
Initially, the federal judge assigned to the case had barred all in-person spectators to the 2021 trial, citing concerns about the spread of deadly COVID-19. Instead, an overflow room was designated where an audience could watch the proceedings from a distance via a video link, according to court records.
Girard and Harry wanted their mothers present for moral support, and the judge acquiesced, allowing limited seating in the courtroom on the second day of the trial. Even then, for unknown reasons, the mothers were prevented from accessing the courtroom, according to court records.
Girard’s mother told the court that federal marshals had barred her and Harry’s mother from the courtroom for unknown reasons for all but the last few days of the trial.
The convicted murderers complained to the District Court judge that this was a violation of their Sixth Amendment rights to a public trial. The judge disagreed and declined their request for a new trial.
The appeals court agreed, in part, that the District Court bungled efforts to balance protecting public safety and protecting the accused’s rights to a public trial. But, the appeals court said, the men’s attorneys had failed to make adequate arguments about that at the time and, even if they had, it would not rise to the level of declaring a mistrial.
“Harry concedes that he did not object contemporaneously to the errors he claims on appeal.And the closest Girard came to objecting was between jury selection and opening arguments, when his lawyer asked the District Court to allow Girard’s family into the courtroom ‘to comply with the Constitution’ and so they could give’“moral support,’” the appeals court judges wrote. “That is not enough to preserve a public-trial argument challenging the District Court’s requirement that all spectators watch from the overflow room. Parties must present arguments ‘squarely,’ so the district court has a chance to resolve them in the first instance.”
The appeals court found, despite the error, the men had not been discriminated against.
“The first-day closure that the District Court ordered was not designed for secrecy. It was a good-faith effort to protect the participants from COVID-19 during the pandemic – a laudable measure that was erroneous only because the Court neglected to consider an alternative. Also in the trial judge’s defense, he was unaware that Defendants’ mothers were being excluded once the courtroom was open to spectators, and he remedied the problem as soon as defense counsel made the Court aware of it,” the judges wrote. “By contrast, the costs of retrying Harry and Girard would be significant.”
Girard and Harry also contended that prosecutors improperly met with two of their fellow defendants – Shaquille Correa and James Cruz, who were later sentenced to 17 years and 12 years, respectively. They claimed the meeting resulted in Correa and Cruz not testifying, proclaiming their intention to plead the Fifth Amendment to all questions in the case.
Girard and Harry said Correa and Cruz should have been required to plead the Fifth to each question asked in open court, not simply state a blanket intention outside court.
Again, the appeals court agreed in part, saying they preferred question-by-question invocations of the Fifth Amendment because it allowed the trial judge to determine whether it was allowed in each circumstance. But, because there were no contemporaneous objections, neither the District Court judge nor the Appeals Court had a framework to work from.
Finally, Girard and Harry had claimed seven other witnesses were blocked from testifying. The Appeals Court found one of these would-be witnesses had intended to plead the Fifth Amendment to each question and the six others had been ruled as irrelevant to the case.
“The Paul Girard criminal enterprise was a vicious and lawless gang that terrorized and victimized the people of the Virgin Islands for years,” then-U. S. Attorney for the U.S. Virgin Islands Delia Smith said in 2022.
“Murders, robberies, assaults, gun violence, kidnappings, all ordered by Girard while he was incarcerated. Many lives have been affected by this senseless violence, but the life sentences issued by the court send a strong message that our system of justice works, and anyone who commits these heinous crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Smith said after Girard was sentenced.
Girard was being held at the supermax prison USP Florence ADMAX in Florence, Colorado. Harry was at the USP Coleman high-security penitentiary in Sumterville, Florida.
