People v. Donastorg

54 V.I. 22, 83 Fed. R. Serv. 434, 2010 WL 3063765, 2010 V.I. LEXIS 53
CourtSuperior Court of The Virgin Islands
DecidedAugust 4, 2010
DocketCase No. ST-10-CR-F109
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 54 V.I. 22 (People v. Donastorg) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of The Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Donastorg, 54 V.I. 22, 83 Fed. R. Serv. 434, 2010 WL 3063765, 2010 V.I. LEXIS 53 (visuper 2010).

Opinion

CHRISTIAN, Judge

MEMORANDUM OPINION

(August 4, 2010)

Presently before the Court in the above-captioned matter1 are two motions: 1) “Defendant Adlah Donastorg’s Motion to Dismiss Criminal Information Based Upon Malicious Prosecution and Egregious Prosecutorial Misconduct in Violation of his Due Process Rights” (“Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss”); and 2) “The Government’s Motion for Expert Testimony Pursuant to FRE 702” (“People’s Rule 702 Motion”).2 For the reasons set forth herein, the Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss will be denied, and the People’s Rule 702 Motion will be granted, subject to the conditions contained in Part II.b.3.C of this opinion.

I. Factual and Procedural Background.

On March 24, 2010, the People of the Virgin Islands (the “People”) charged Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg, a sitting senator of the 28th Legislature of the Virgin Islands, (“Senator Donastorg” or “Defendant”) in a multiple count criminal information (“Information”) dated March 23, 2010. The charging document alleges: 1) one'count of Assault in the Third Degree/Domestic Violence, in violation of Title 14 of the Virgin Islands Code § 297(2) and Title 16 of the Virgin Islands Code § 91(b)(l)-(ll); 2) one count of Using a Dangerous or Deadly Weapon, in violation of Title 14 Virgin Islands Code § 2251(a)(2)(A); 3) two counts of Aggravated Assault and Battery/Domestic Violence, in violation of Title 14 of the Virgin Islands Code § 298(5) and Title 16 of the Virgin Islands Code [28]*28§ 91(b)(1), (2); and 4) one count of Brandishing, Exhibiting or Using a Deadly Weapon/Domestic Violence, in violation of Title 14 of the Virgin Islands Code § 621(1) and Title 16 of the Virgin Islands Code § 91(b)(1). At his arraignment on March 25, 2010, Defendant pleaded not guilty to all five charges and requested a speedy trial by jury.

The charges grow out of an alleged January 28, 2010 incident between Senator Donastorg and “Ms. K.E.” said to have occurred in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. On January 29, 2010, Ms. K.E. gave a statement to Detective Sergeant Deborah Jack (“Detective Jack”) of the Virgin Islands Police Department (“VIPD”) on the island of St. Croix (“January Statement”). This statement, along with other VIPD investigation, served as the foundation for a March 22, 2010 Affidavit of Detective Jack and the March 23, 2010 Information against Mr. Donastorg. However, after being interviewed by Detective Jack, but prior to the filing of the Information, Ms. K.E. issued a separate public statement dated March 8,2010, with the assistance of Judith L. Bourne, Esquire, which addressed the circumstances surrounding the same alleged incident of January 28, 2010 (“March Statement”). In many respects, the March 8, 2010 statement is different from her January 29, 2010 statement, and these two statements of Ms. K.E. are, in large part, the impetus for the pending pretrial motions presently before the Court. Defendant argues, among other issues, that the People should not be allowed to proceed with this prosecution on the basis of Ms. K.E.’s January Statement because she has made clear to the People that her March Statement more accurately depicts the correct circumstances of the incident.

Senator Donastorg also contends that the People took a number of inappropriate actions between January 28, 2010, the date of the alleged incident, and March 24, 2010, the filing of the Information. He claims that the manner in which this investigation was initiated and performed violated his due process rights. In sum, he argues: 1) that certain persons who are supporters of the sitting Governor encouraged or coerced Ms. K.E. to report the January 28, 2010 incident to the Virgin Islands Police Department (“VIPD”); 2) that Ms. K.E.’s current standpoint is that the statement prepared by Detective Jack incorrectly set forth the events of January 28, 2010, and Detective Jack did not correct the January Statement after Ms. K.E. advised her of these concerns; 3) the officials of VIPD and Governor de Jongh’s supporters pressured Ms. K.E. or took what she viewed as improper actions during the investigatory process; 4) [29]*29the People improperly attempted to have Ms. K.E.’s attorney disqualified as counsel3; and 5) the People intimidated another witness, C.M., into giving a statement.4 In support of these allegations, Defendant appends to his motion several statements of the pertinent individuals. By this memorandum opinion, the Court addresses both motions.

II. Legal Discussion.

a. Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss.

1. The Superior Court has the implicit authority to dismiss a criminal case for improper governmental conduct

Neither party cites to, nor did this Court identify, any Virgin Islands precedent which clearly affirms the authority of the Superior Court to dismiss an information on a defendant’s pretrial motion based upon alleged governmental misconduct. However, a review of the jurisdiction conferred on this Court by the Virgin Islands Legislature, pursuant to the authority of the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands of 1954, plainly leads to the conclusion that this Court is vested with such authority.

While not every provision of the United States Constitution has been extended to the unincorporated territory of the United States Virgin Islands, see, Gov’t of the Virgin Islands v. Boynes, 45 V.I. 195, 198-199 (Terr. Ct. 2003), a person’s basic right to due process is fully applicable in this jurisdiction. In particular, “No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense without due process of law. . . .” Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands 1954, as amended, § 3, 48 U.S.C. § 1561, reprinted in V.I. Code Ann., Historical Documents, Organic Acts, and U.S. Constitution at 861 (1995) (preceding V.I. CODE Ann. tit. 1) (“Revised Organic Act”). Because the right to due process is so fundamental to the American system of jurisprudence, it has long been recognized that courts have the implicit supervisory authority to dismiss a criminal case where [30]*30the governmental conduct in investigating and prosecuting the action violate the due process rights of the defendant. E.g., McNabb v. United States, 318 U.S. 332, 63 S. Ct. 608, 87 L. Ed. 819 (1943), superseded by statute, Pub. L. No. 90-351, 82 Stat. 210. Therefore, “. . . a conviction in federal courts, the foundation of which is evidence obtained in disregard of liberties deemed fundamental by the Constitution, cannot stand.” Id. at 339 (citations omitted). State judicial bodies also possess this inherent supervisory authority. E.g., State v. Hall, 991 So.2d 775 (Ala. Crim. App. 2007); People v. Morgan, 169 Ill. App. 3d 368, 523 N.E.2d 560 (1988).

In this Territory, “. . . the judicial power of the Virgin Islands shall be vested in . . . such appellate and lower local courts as may have been or may hereafter be established by local law. . .”, Revised Organic Act § 21 (a), 48 U.S.C. § 1611(a).

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Bluebook (online)
54 V.I. 22, 83 Fed. R. Serv. 434, 2010 WL 3063765, 2010 V.I. LEXIS 53, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-donastorg-visuper-2010.