The trial was scheduled to start this Monday morning. It has been postponed twice. One of the nine accused had not been released from the Saint-Etienne remand center.
It was in a certain confusion that the trial linked to the murder of the 17-year-old young man, killed at Mas de Mingue in January 2021, “started” this Monday morning before the Gard Assize Court without really starting. A problem with the transfer of a detainee disrupted the start of the hearing, which was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. The dozen lawyers for the defense and the civil party had sat down on their respective benches, the general counsel, the clerk had also arrived but also a large part of the nine accused, some of whom appeared free.
Juror came hitchhiking
Specialized teams of Eris prison officers were also deployed in the detainees’ box, hooded and heavily armed. In the public, the victim’s families were also gathered awaiting the call of witnesses and civil parties. The hearing did not start. A juror who was slightly late for his summons at 9 a.m. came to explain to the clerk and the general counsel and then to the president that he had come hitchhiking and that he was not motorized. He explains that he wanted to be present to explain it while asking to be excused.
Then, President Laurène Dorlhac took the microphone to explain what was being whispered in the courtroom; namely that one of the accused who was in pre-trial detention in Saint-Étienne (Loire) had not been removed from the remand center and that, de facto, the trial could not start this Monday morning but at 2 p.m. . While waiting for the arrival of the inmate, led by prison guards, the hearing which had not started, was “adjourned”.
The clerk went to put away the shotgun that was on the evidence desk. And the police escort who provide security at the courthouse ordered the closure of the courtroom. The other defendants were kept in the courthouse cells during the lunch break. Then at 2 p.m., another twist. The detainee had still not arrived in Nîmes and a new problem was raised. The geographical jurisdiction of the prison service was invoked to explain the hiccup behind which, a new postponement was once again announced by President Dorlhac.
Second postponement at 2 p.m., theoretical resumption at 5 p.m.
“The hearing will resume at 5 p.m.,” said the advisor after walking up to the microphone installed at the stand. “Come at 4:45 p.m.,” said the bailiff to the witnesses to avoid too many additional difficulties in the hoped-for recovery. The president also indicated that the hearing would not continue beyond 7:30 p.m. This delay of almost a day of hearing seems to augur a foreseeable lengthening of the trial.
