KINGSHILL — Superior Court Magistrate Judge Yolan C. Brow-Ross is scheduled to see eight defendants in her courtroom in Estate Kingshill on St. Croix this morning:
Yahya K. Daniel, 46, of Estate St. John, has an arraignment hearing after his arrest for assault and related charges, court records show, specifically Title 14, Virgin Islands Code (V.I.C.) § 922(a) defines First Degree Murder, covering killings done with poison, torture, lying in wait, or any willful, deliberate, premeditated act, and also murder committed during felonies like arson, robbery, or rape. Section 922(a)(1) specifically addresses premeditated murder, while (a)(2) covers felony murder, making it a serious homicide charge in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Key aspects of § 922(a):
- § 922(a)(1): Focuses on killings that are willful, deliberate, and premeditated, often involving methods like poison or torture.
- § 922(a)(2): Covers “felony murder,” where a death occurs during the commission or attempted commission of another serious crime (e.g., robbery, rape, burglary).
In summary, a crime under 14 V.I.C. § 922(a) is generally a charge of Murder in the First Degree, stemming from either a planned killing or a killing during another felony.
Michel Jn Baptiste has a status conference after his arrest on a disobeying a lawful order charge, court records show, specifically Virgin Islands Code Title 14, Section 883 deals with Disobeying Orders of Firemen, Policemen, etc., making it a crime to refuse lawful commands from peace officers, punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both, and was used during COVID-19 for violating health orders.
Context: Enforcement significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic for violations of health-related mandates.
What it is: A law making it an offense to disobey police orders, which also covers directives from the Governor or Health Commissioner during emergencies like COVID-19.
Penalties: Fines up to $200, up to one year in jail, or both.
Adrian Gordon has a status conference after his arrest on an assault charge, court records show, specifically Title 14, Section 1864 of the U.S. Virgin Islands Code which defines Robbery in the Third Degree, as a crime committed when someone takes property by force or threat, but under circumstances not severe enough for first or second-degree robbery, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Key Details:
- Crime: Robbery in the Third Degree.
- Definition: Committing robbery when it doesn’t meet the criteria for first or second-degree robbery.
- Penalty: Imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years.
This statute falls under Title 14 (Crimes) and Chapter 93 (Robbery) of the Virgin Islands Code.
Kinjah Davis has a bench trial after his arrest on assault and related charges, court records show, specifically 14 Virgin Islands Code § 299 defines the crime of Simple Assault and Battery, which involves committing a basic assault or battery without aggravating circumstances, punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both, as detailed in Title 14 (Crimes), Chapter 13 (Assault and Battery).
Key aspects of 14 V.I.C. § 299:
Context: It’s part of the larger Title 14, which deals with all crimes in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to this source.
Definition: It covers either a simple assault (attempted battery or threatening gesture) or an assault/battery without aggravating factors, notes Justia Law and this source.
Penalties: A fine up to $250, up to six months in jail, or both, according to Justia Law.
Title 14, Section 622 of the Virgin Islands Code defines the crime of Disturbing the Peace; Fighting, which involves maliciously and willfully disturbing peace through loud noise, offensive conduct, challenging to fight, or using vulgar language loudly and boisterously in public. Violators face fines, imprisonment, or both, according to this Justia page.
Here’s a breakdown of the specific actions covered by V.I. Code tit. 14, § 622:
- Disrupting Peace: Disturbing the peace of a community or person with loud, unusual noises or disruptive conduct.
- Fighting: Threatening, quarreling, challenging to fight, or actually fighting.
- Public Profanity: Using vulgar, profane, or indecent language loudly and boisterously on public streets or highways, or within earshot.
The crime defined by Virgin Islands Code Title 14, § 1741 is Trespass, which involves unlawfully entering someone else’s land or property without consent, with penalties depending on the type of property, such as a domestic violence center.
Here’s a breakdown of the statute:
Trespass at Domestic Violence Centers (14 V.I.C. § 1741(b)): Entering a domestic violence center without consent carries a harsher penalty of at least one year but not more than three years in prison.
General Trespass (14 V.I.C. § 1741(a)): Entering land without permission can result in a fine of up to $50, up to 30 days in jail, or both.
Aaliyah Marius has an advice-of-rights hearing after her arrest on domestic violence charges, court records show, specifically
Title 14, Section 1266 of the U.S. Virgin Islands Code defines the crime of “Destruction of other property,” where someone maliciously injures or destroys property that isn’t their own, punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both, if not covered elsewhere in the code.
- Code: V.I. Code tit. 14, § 1266.
- Crime: Malicious injury or destruction of another’s real or personal property.
- Penalty: Up to $200 fine, up to 1 year in prison, or both.
16 Virgin Islands Code § 91(b) does not define a single specific crime but rather defines the scope of “domestic violence” by listing several underlying criminal acts that, when committed against a person with a specific intimate or familial relationship to the perpetrator, constitute an act of domestic violence under Virgin Islands law.
The statute lists the following acts, attempts, or threats as the basis for a domestic violence case:
- Assault
- Battery
- Burglary
- Kidnapping
- Unlawful sexual contact
- Rape
- Forcible or unlawful entry
- Coercion
- Destruction of property
- Harassment
- Threats
- False imprisonment
- Stalking
- Violation of a restraining order
These acts are prosecuted as crimes under other titles of the Virgin Islands Code (such as Title 14, Crimes and Criminal Procedure), but their classification under Title 16, § 91(b) triggers specific procedures and enhanced penalties related to domestic violence situations.
Yousef Ali has a bench trial after his arrest on a contempt of court charge related to a protective order, court records show, specifically The crime described under Title 14, Virgin Islands Code (V.I. Code) § 582a is Contempt Constituting the Crime of Domestic Violence, specifically for willfully disobeying a domestic violence-related restraining order, with enhanced penalties if a deadly weapon was involved in the original order.
Key Points:
Penalties: Can result in significant jail time (6 months to 5 years) and hefty fines ($1,000 to $5,000) if the original order involved a deadly weapon.
Violation: Willfully disobeying a lawful order (like a restraining order) from Title 16.
Context: Investigated and prosecuted by the Domestic Violence Unit in the U.S. Virgin Islands.