Lawyer Bertram Stapleton turns on media

The uppercuts, jabs and hooks thrown at the print media by Senior Magistrate Donald Browne over the past weeks served as just a warm up compared to what was landed by lawyer Bertram Stapleton on Monday at the Kingstown Magistrates’ Court.{{more}}

Magistrate Browne, when dealing with the issue of bail for a defendant, said that in granting the defendant bail, “They would run it all over the tabloids, since they are waiting for me to make a faux pas.”

Out of the blue, Stapleton stood up and said, “I’m glad that I am not the only one who feels the press writes what they feel and not what is correct. I am praying for the day that these Vincentians get wise and stop buying these newspapers.”

Continuing his verbal onslaught, Stapleton said the media was one sided. “These misleading people. When those persons charged with a crime are set free, you never see who represented them in the case, but when you lose, your name is printed. I bet my name is going to be all over the papers this week.”

“They must learn to report fairly. When I blast the newspapers, I know what I am talking about,” the Attorney said.

Stapleton also made allegations that editors sometimes change what the reporters write.

Magistrate Browne intervened and told Stapleton to “Leave the media alone. It’s their training.” (KW)