Top law enforcement leaders in Antigua and Barbuda are sounding the alarm over a growing flaw in the criminal justice system: the release of defendants charged with severe violent crimes on bail, even as their court proceedings remain ongoing.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Lisborn Michael, speaking publicly on the local current affairs program *Browne and Browne Show*, outlined the deep frustration and public harm stemming from repeated bail approvals for high-risk suspects. He shared a jarring recent example from 2024: a man held in custody for the killing of a woman’s son was granted bail and released, a change that law enforcement was not alerted to until the victim’s mother encountered the accused out in public.
Michael also pointed to a separate high-profile shooting at the busy West Bus Station, where multiple suspects in the case were approved for release on bail. In a striking illustration of the risks police warn about, one of those released defendants later appeared before the very same judge on a new criminal charge, and was ultimately found guilty of armed robbery.
The senior police official was careful to acknowledge the long-standing legal framework that governs bail proceedings: final decisions on bail rest exclusively with the judiciary, and all defendants carry the constitutional presumption of innocence until a court proves their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Even with that respect for judicial independence, however, Michael made clear that law enforcement remains deeply concerned about the pattern of suspects committing new crimes either while out on bail or shortly after completing sentences for prior violent offences.
Michael emphasized that the police force remains committed to upholding its end of public safety: investigators will continue to build thorough cases against suspects, gather solid evidence, and present those cases to the courts for prosecution. But he pushed for broader systemic change, arguing that every branch of the criminal justice system must coordinate and function effectively to curb violent crime and cut down on repeat offending that endangers communities.