15th Judicial Circuit- River Gee County


       

15TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT,

RIVER GEE COUNTY

REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA

His Honor Judge George W. Smith

Resident Circuit Judge

Jurisdiction: The 15th Judicial Circuit Court of River Gee County exercises original jurisdiction over all cases as to which no other court has, including jurisdiction in Admiralty. The Circuit Court also has jurisdiction to hear appeals from administrative determinations of government agencies and officials in accordance with statutes that provide appeals and from decisions of courts-not-of-record (magisterial) made within the county in which it sits.

Appointment and tenure of Circuit Judges: The President shall nominate and by and with the consent of the Senate, appoint and commission the Circuit Judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit who shall be resident Judge. He/She shall hold office during good behavior.

Opening dates of the 15th Judicial Circuit Court: The 15th Judicial Circuit shall meet four times a year in quarterly sessions, opening their quarterly sessions on the second Monday in February, May, August, and November in each year. The quarterly sessions of this Circuit shall be entitled the February, May, August and November Terms of Court.

Duration of each Term: Ten days before the opening of each quarterly session, there shall be a pre-trial chamber session to be held by the circuit judge assigned to sit during the quarterly sessions which shall immediately be followed by a trial session beginning with the opening of each quarterly session and continuing for forty-two consecutive days not including Sundays and legal holidays unless sooner terminated because all business before the court is disposed of before the expiration of that period. Immediately following the close of the trial session there shall be a ten-day closing chamber session to be held by the judge assigned to sit for the quarterly session and any judge concurrently assigned to the circuit.

The 15th Judicial Circuit Court shall be considered always open for adjudication of matters over which it has jurisdiction and for the purpose of filing any pleading or other paper authorized by rule or statute, of issuing and returning mesne and final process and of making and directing all interlocutory motions, orders and rules. Wherever they are present within the circuit, the Circuit Judge assigned to a Circuit Court, during his assignment and the pre-trial chamber session prior thereto, concurrently with the resident judge thereof, shall have authority to act on all matters coming before the court; and if neither is available, then except for the trial of an action and any motions in connection therewith which may be made during and after such trial or any motion for an order that would dispose of the action, in whole or in part, in any manner other than the settlement of an action or claim involving an infant or judicially declared incompetent, all other matters may be heard by the presiding judge of the Circuit Court adjoining the circuit where the action is triable.

Except as provided in the Civil Procedure Law, jury cases shall have preference over all other cases and matters, and criminal cases shall first be heard; provided that the following capital offenses shall have preference over all cases, criminal and civil, in all courts of competent jurisdiction of Liberia, particularly the following cases:

a.         Treason                                  d.         Terrorism

b.         Armed robbery                       e.         Murder

c.         Hi-jacking                               f.          Other capital offenses

Notwithstanding the expiration of the session at which it was commenced a trial shall continue until it is completed.

The 15th Judicial Circuit has five (5) Specialized Courts and oversees the functions of a total of eight (8) Magisterial Courts located across the county.

COURTS OPERATING WITHIN THE 15TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

COURT JUDGE LOCATION
15th Judicial Circuit Court 1.       His Honor Judge George W. Smith (Resident Circuit Judge) CITY HALL, FISH TOWN
 

SPECIALIZED COURTS

  
i. Revenue Court 1.  His Honor Solo B. Teah

RENTED STRUCTURE, FISH TOWN
ii. Traffic Court

PRIVATE RESIDENCE, FISH TOWN
iii. Monthly & Probate Court 1.       His Honor David F. Sarliah  
iv. Debt Court 1.  His Honor Benjamin W. Jlah, Sr.j

FISH TOWN CITY HALL, FISH TOWN
 

MAGISTERIAL COURTS

  
i. Fish Town Magisterial Court His Honor Anthony Wiah (Acting Stipendiary)

Her Honor Vesselee Gbigbi (Associate)

His Honor Solo B. Teah, Jr. (Associate)

FISH TOWN CITY
ii.  Kaweaken Magisterial Court His Honor Alexander K. Smith (Associate)

KAWEAKEN CITY
iii. Tienpo Magisterial Court His Honor Victor W. Chineh (Associate)

RESIDENCE OF STIPENDARY MAGISTRATE, TIENPO
iv. Webbo Magisterial Court  

His Honor Nimene Pawoo (Associate)

WEBO, WEBBO DISTRICT
v. Tuobo Magisterial Court His Honor John Toe Slopaw (Associate)

His Honor Sobue D. K. Wyne (Associate)

TUOBO
vi. Glarro Magisterial Court His Honor Charles Bleh (Associate)

Glarro District
viii. Pallipo Magisterial Court His Honor Tuolay Jayswen (Associate)

Pallipo District
ix. Jorqueken Magisterial Court His Honor Alfred W. Quaye (Associate)

His Honor Augustine C. Wuo (Associate)

His Honor B. F. Whyne Harris, Sr. (Associate)

JORQUEKEN
x. Kelipo Magisterial Court His Honor Franklin Myers (Acting Stipendiary)

His Honor D. Otis Karpeh (Associate)

Her Honor Anita George McCaauley (Associate)

KELIPO