In January, we told you about how the well-known former politician and businessman, Darrell Carter, ended up in police lockdown and then court after his wife Natalia Carter, the acting director of the family court, accused him of breaching a protection order. Well, tonight, he's free and clear of that charge.
Now, protection orders are in the jurisdiction of the Family Court, and Natalia Carter is Acting Director, of that court. This meant all the Magistrates who would have heard the case ultimately answer to her as their boss. Carter's attorney, Anthony Sylvestre, argued in court that this creates an appearance of bias, putting his client's right to a fair hearing in jeopardy. The judiciary took note of that argument, and removed the family court case from under the purview of the Family Court, and placed it in the jurisdiction of Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer.
That's an important victory for Carter, and the case continued in his favour when the court found out that the Family Court Magistrate who previously handled the case was granting ex-party adjournments without Darrell Carter being present, or being informed. Carter's fate ultimately turned on a no-case submission from his attorney.
Senior Magistrate Frazer reviewed the prosecution's case and agreed with Anthony Sylvestre that Carter had no case to answer for the breech, and she struck it out of court. Carter told us this evening that he is of course very relieved to be free, and he is particularly upset that he was arrested and locked up on his birthday due to his wife's allegation.
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