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Belgrave Acquitted In Trial Without Jury; Judge Rejects Victim's Written Statement
posted (March 19, 2015)
31 year-old Jermaine Belgrave, who was charged with the murder of 35 year-old Cleo Robinson, was acquitted today in a trial without jury before Justice Adolph Lucas.

Viewers may remember that Robinson was shot in the abdomen on February 23, 2010, while he was riding a bicycle on Glenn Street. He died 16 months later.

In Belgrave's criminal trial, Justice Lucas ruled that he would not accept the victim's written statement in evidence, specifically, the portion where he identified Belgrave as the man who shot him on that night. Dr. Mario Estradabran, who did the autopsy, testified that Robinson died from malnutrition after being shot. But, Robinson's common-law wife, Janice Lynch, testified that she used to feed him and care for him while he was bedridden. Again, Justice Lucas did not accept Dr. Estradabran's version of the cause of death.

Belgrave, who was represented by attorney Anthony Sylvestre, took the witness stand and testified that he was at home, and he was watching television at the time of this shooting.

After considering all the evidence, Justice Lucas ruled that Belgrave was not guilty of the charge of murder. With this acquittal, he was allowed to leave court and go home as a free man.

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