CRIMINAL ASSIZES “E”
1ST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, MONTSERRADO COUNTY
REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
| Clerk of Court | Contact Number | |
| George S. Koryapoe | 231886542338 / 231775041479 |
Jurisdiction: The Criminal Assizes “E”, of the 1st Judicial Circuit Montserrado County, exercises exclusive jurisdiction over all cases of Sexual Offenses in Montserrado County.
The Criminal Court “E” shall have exclusive original jurisdiction over the crimes of Rape, Gang Rape, Aggravated Involuntary Sodomy, Involuntary Sodomy, Voluntary Sodomy, Corruption of Minors, Sexual Abuse of Wards and Sexual Assault and such other crimes as may from time to time be added as Sexual Offenses to Sub-Chapter D of Chapter 14 and 16 of the Penal Law as well as trafficking in persons insofar as it involves sexual servitude (hereinafter referred to as “Sexual Offenses”).
Appointment and tenure of Resident Judge: The President shall nominate and with the consent of the Senate, appoint and commission two Judges of circuit court stature, who by assignment of the Chief Justice, shall preside over the Sexual Offenses Court, Criminal Court “E” of the 1st Judicial Circuit. He/she shall hold office during good behavior or on attaining the age of 70.
Opening dates of the Sexual Offenses Court, Criminal Court “E” 1st Judicial Circuit: The Sexual Offenses Court of the 1st Judicial Circuit shall convene in semi-annual sessions, with the first session convening of the Second Monday in February and the second session on the Second Monday in August.
Duration of each Term: Ten days before the opening of each semi-annual session, there shall be a pre-trial chamber session to be held by the judge assigned to sit during the sessions which shall immediately be followed by a trial session beginning with the opening of each semi-annual session and continuing for six months excluding 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 semi-annual session and any judge concurrently assigned to the circuit.
The Sexual Offenses Court, Criminal Court “E”, 1st Judicial Circuit, Montserrado County 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 Judge assigned to a Sexual Offenses 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.
Criminal Court “E”