A Philadelphia Blog speaks out about the race card in this case...

http://www.phillyfuture.org/node/5538

The story now should be about judgeless Kendall. I love his comment about it being a case of 'circumstantial evidence'. I'm no attorney but I'll bet at least 90 pct of convictions are based on circumstantial evidence. In fact, I have heard from prosecutors that circumstantial evidence is in most cases more reliable then direct evidence.

And bail for murder cashing out at 7500.00.

Folks if this is true and this actually happens, you VI'ers have bigger problems than the odd murder.

/yeah, I'll still visit.

Actually,
I think my money just might be spent somewhere else other than the VI's., not that anybody
cares. Crime happens, yes. Justice is sorely lacking.
That judge shouldn't be on the bench period. No wonder the police don't give a rat's a$$ about doing anything, going so far as to hose down the scene because it's all a waste of their time. So basically,
it's the righteous attitude of their incompetence that I don't wish to support with my hard earned dollars.

Don't Judges have term limits in the USVI?

How about getting back to travel questions?

I'm ready for that. This is sort of an online version of talk radio. I do see why the TA board would want to cut it off. Most of this thread really has been the work of just a few posters putting up multiple threads, quoting at length from various sources, and the occasional variety of troll. Most folks coming to the forum are still just looking around for travel info.

I've posted this link before. I do find this site useful:

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/index.htm

They really nail many of the online combatants.

Ron and Weary,

I am with you on this. My message is short: help out or get out of the way. Everyone has the links and can read the papers themselves. I would prefer to come to this board to get restaurant and hotel reviews than the local news.

To those tourists concerned and wanting to do something; write to the VI Board of Tourism or the local papers to express your opinions. At least then you would be proactive and putting pressure on the VI government to take care of matters or lose tourism dollars. Just my two cents.

Teresa

Well USVI and Weary,

Safety concerns are a central part of choosing a vacation destination for lots of
families and tourists.

Maybe the fact that Trip Advisor and others delete information about crimes contributes to the
unrealistic expectations, and lower precautions, of visitors to the USVI.

There has been a lot of discussion about visitors leaving their common
sense behind, and assuming that the Virgin Islands are a crime-free
paradise.

People go on vacation to "paradise" to have a vacation from whatever they do
to make anough money to go there.

I would think that criminal activity,
especially criminal activity that goes unpunished as per
the public record--is an important consideration when choosing a destination.

How are islanders, or visitors supposed to feel, when an incompetent
judge reduces the bail of offenders accused of involvement in a murder, thus trivializing the crimes
they have committed? He releases them to commit more crimes against all law abiding
people.
Visitors to the USVI's should have as much information as possible, then decide for themselves.

Vic

I think the point is that the information has been stated and restated again and again. It's all been said. Now there's just a few people who are beating a dead horse and are so caught up in it that they haven't realized that the horse is dead.

Lex,

The horse if hardly dead. The posts related to the Cockayne murder reflect the changing nature of the story and, as captainvic noted, represent new dimensions of the story that are relevant to tourists. It started as a story about a murder....it evolved to a story of questionable police practices...and now we learn of a judge who sets ridiculously low bail for violent offenders. We can't just put the "well, crime is everywhere" stamp on this and file ti away. Visitors to the islands should be aware that they may be the victim of a crime....that island police may not do a very good job investigating it....and that an island judge may let the offender walk out of court with a slap on the wrist.

No dead horse here, Lex. This story continues to grow new legs by the day.