14th Judicial Circuit Court Complex, Cestos, Rivercess County

Jurisdiction: The 14th Judicial Circuit Court of Rivercess 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 14th Judicial Circuit who shall be resident Judge. He/She shall hold office during good behavior.

Opening dates of the 14th Judicial Circuit Court: The 14th 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 14th 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 14th Judicial Circuit has three (3) Specialized Courts and oversees the functions a total of two (2) Magisterial Courts located across the county.

 

COURTS OPERATING WITHIN THE 14TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

COURT	JUDGE	LOCATION
14th Judicial Circuit Court	1. His Honor Onesinmus Banwon (Resident Circuit Judge)	CESTOS CITY
	SPECIALIZED COURTS
i. Revenue Court	1.       Raley B. Wesseh	FORMER UNMIL HQ, CESTOS CITY
ii. Traffic Court	1.       His Honor Isaac Gibson	FORMER UNMIL HQ, CESTOS CITY
iii.  Debt Court	1.       His Honor Peter G. Massey	CESTOS CITY
	MAGISTERIAL COURTS
i. Cestos City Magisterial Court	His Honor Colston J. Flemming  (Associate) His Honor Dixon Y. Yeahgar (Associate)	FORMER UNMIL HQ, CESTOS CITY
ii. Moweh Magisterial Court	His Honor Benjoines W. Weagbah (Associate) His Honor Francis S. B. Weagba (Associate)	MOWEH
iii. Yarkpah Town Magisterial Court	His Honor Abraham B. Nyonway (Acting Stipendiary) His Honor Debah Zuku Debah (Associate)	YARKPA TOWN