By Stephanie M. Duncan
Monrovia – 45 pretrial detainees have been set free by Criminal Court “A” Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie after finding that the government failed to prosecute their cases within the timeframe required by law.
They had been detained for years at the Monrovia Central Prison at South Beach.
The detainees were facing various charges, including murder, robbery, trafficking, manslaughter, aggravated assault, and theft of property.
The court’s decision forms part of a larger exercise expected to affect 219 inmates being released “without prejudice to the state,” meaning the government may refile charges against them in the future.
Among those released are Alieu Kamara, Abraham Maryland, Jerome Brown, Blessings Sherman, Emmanuel Momo, and several others who reportedly spent between two and four years in detention without indictment or trial.
Judge Willie relied on Sections 18.1 and 18.2 of Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Law, which require dismissal of criminal cases when prosecutors fail to bring defendants to trial within the prescribed court terms unless the state can show sufficient justification for the delay.
The ruling followed a motion filed by defense attorney Cllr. Sennay Carlor II, who argued that the prolonged detention of the inmates violated their constitutional right to a speedy trial.
During the proceedings, prison officials informed the court that overcrowding at the South Beach facility had reached alarming levels, with inmates allegedly forced to sleep in extremely congested conditions.
Judge Willie noted that the continued detention of individuals without trial, combined with the worsening overcrowding at the prison, made it necessary for the court to uphold the law.
The latest ruling marks another major intervention by Judge Willie on the issue of prolonged pretrial detention. In April 2025, the judge ordered the release of more than 100 detainees over similar violations after motions were filed by defense lawyers, including Cllr. Carlor II and Cllr. Aloysius Toe.
Judge Willie has repeatedly emphasized that such releases should not be interpreted as declarations of innocence, but rather as consequences of the government’s failure to prosecute cases in accordance with Liberian law.
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