Lawyer’s ‘sexts’ lead to client’s successful appeal
(CNS): A Jamaican woman who was convicted of wounding in 2022 following a brawl at the beauty parlour where she worked was acquitted by the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal on Friday as a result of the behaviour of her defence lawyer. Aisha Jamilah English (33), who was found guilty of stabbing a colleague, appealed last year on the basis that she had been sexually harassed by her attorney, Keith Myers, and because she had refused his advances, he had not properly represented her or followed her instructions at trial.
English was convicted in September 2022 and sentenced to 21 months in jail. In her appeal, she made allegations based on a series of sexually charged and inappropriate messages, or “sexts”, that Myers sent to her when he was working on the case, which she had saved and submitted as part of the appeal, originally filed last year.
On Friday, when the case finally came before the appeal court, senior prosecuting counsel Scott Wainwright told the higher court that the crown was not resisting the appeal because the messages spoke for themselves.
He said that the crown could have mounted an argument against some of the grounds for overturning the conviction, namely that Myers had not, as she had instructed him to do, argued that she had acted in self-defence, as this had been raised during the trial. But he said the inappropriate messages served to support English’s claim that she had been sexually harassed by her attorney.
Wainwright said the crown was not in a position to challenge her broader claims that she was not properly represented and that Myers did not prepare for the trial or follow her instructions. He also said a retrial was not in the public interest since English had already served some six months of a 21-month term.
Not all of the messages from Myers or the extent of his alleged inappropriate behaviour were read out or detailed in the appeal court. However, Simon Csoka KC, the UK attorney who represented English during the appeal, outlined some of the communication for the public record. The defence lawyer had used a number of clear euphemisms that suggested his sexual interest in his client, even when she was expressing her discomfort and concern that if she didn’t do as he wanted, he would not properly represent her.
Csoka, who was instructed by local attorney Denis Brady, told the panel of justices that before Myers saw the messages that English had saved and passed on to the crown, he had submitted an affidavit under oath. Despite the content of the messages he had sent, which were clearly inappropriate and sexually charged, he refuted the accusations and said he would not “give credence to such filth”, nor would he give the claims “any legs to stand on”.
The appeal court justices told the crown counsel that he had “made the right decision” before they told English that the case against her had been dismissed and she was free to go. They also confirmed that they would complete their written judgment outlining their reasons for allowing the appeal before the end of this current session.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Only the Governor can discipline judges, and she doesn’t seem to give a hootennanny about anything, really.
Remember how she and Commissioner of Police said at the public meeting that crime is under control, and we don’t need the UK to help. Really now.
At least the UCCI and as Chairman of the Labour Tribunal ..both should remove the so called “Slackness Lawyer” forthwith.
Anu one facing him in court should also object to his presence in the case.
Typical British hooliganism
Nothing more than a cultural misunderstanding.
It’s noticeably discouraging that there is no official comment re professional sanctioning from the Cayman Islands Law Society. In Cayman, we might be forgiven for thinking our Boards, Committees and Regulators are willing enablers.
Forget them, report here: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/
Mr Myers appears to be a perfect candidate for election to our ‘parliament’ – he’d fit right in
Come now – he may sexually harass women, but there is no indication that he has sold drugs, is corrupt or beats women. Has the right BMI mind you.
This…from the same guy who said that the only thing wrong with Cayman is Caymanians!
Not surprising, sadly! That’s the same perspective as most of the so-called “high society” visitors to these shores.
good god what chance do we have with predator attorneys now?
Walked free after stabbing her colleague and after her attorney sexted her? Did I read right? What happens to the victim?
Is this the same Keith Meyers who is an upstanding member of UCCI’s Board of Governors????? https://www.ucci.edu.ky/board-of-governors
He is also Chairman of the Labour Tribunal.
Please research the history of “upstanding” professionals and academics and their conduct over the years at UCCI. And once exposed or caught, usually after a fool hardy attempt at a cover-up, it’s always an excuse for the slack behavior, almost always perpetrated by one demographic, and/or their emulators/sympathizers.
I wonder if a legal ethics board will review him and decide if he should be disbarred. People like this should not be lawyers. They use their position of power to create predatory behavior.
if he’s also admitted in the UK you could complain to the SRA in the UK.
He is https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/register/person/?firstName=Keith&lastName=Myers&sraNumber=442312
Should be a law against lawyers who do things like that followed by jail sentence. He caused a serious crime to go unpunished.
This man serves at UCCI, as one of the board members. Utter useless.
I wonder what UCCI Board gonna do now..
No justice for the man who got stabbed?
Did I read this correctly?
Guilty person’s attorney sexts her and therefore she is free?
Really?
If it was a prosecutor, ok but defense?
Ridiculous.
Yes, and a sensible fair-minded person would be ok with that assuming you read the same article I did.
Any comment on the behaviour of the defence attorney?
That’s the point. It wasn’t the prosecution that sexted but her own defense lawyer.
No, the point is that she had already served 6+ months.
The point is she didn’t have a fair hearing regardless if it was the defence of prosecution attorney.
If they want a retrial fine. It seems they don’t and I can see why.
Regardless she should not be in prison because of the first guilty verdict.
This calls for Myers to be disbarred, what a disgrace!
Madam Chief Justice over to you … we are watching.
Walking on eggshells. Be careful. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Don’t throw stones if you live in a glasshouse.
Go above all of their heads. Report him to the SRA who will investigate and do something. He could be disciplined or disbarred and if proved, any such action would be made public on the SRA register.
But Cayman immigration authorities won’t revoke his permit?
Our Chief Justice won’t discipline him under the Legal Practitioners Act?
CILPA won’t publicly call for him to be penalized in any way?
How low can we go?
Myers is a barrister, not a solicitor, so the correct authority is the Bars Standards Board
He isn’t a barrister, he’s a solicitor advocate. He just tells everyone he’s a barrister because it sounds better. He’s registered with the SRA, that’s how you can tell he’s a solicitor.
Nothing will happen. He is English or Canadian. They must be so proud.
It is because he’s English or Canadian that something will happen.
Exactly. He’s an SRA regulated lawyer and they don’t mess about when it comes to such grave matters of misconduct that could bring the profession into disrepute. He knows he wouldn’t get away with this in the UK and it’s disgusting he thinks he can get away with it in Cayman. Well as an SRA regulated individual, he can’t. I hope he is severely reprimanded and shamed for this. Sickening behaviour.
Bring the “profession” into disrepute? Not possible. Hookers have greater integrity.
just another day in wonderland
This is another one of yours, not one of ours.
that is nothing less than predatory behavior, nobody in a vulnerable position should be left alone with him.
How can any decent lawyers act so disgusting? Yet day in and day out he is representing other defendants before the courts. Yet he is being paid by legal aid. Shame on the Cayman Bar Association to have this kind of attorney working on this island, Disbar, Deport and Depart from the Cayman Islands.
There is no “Cayman Bar Association”. There is, however, a “Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association”.
Typical upper crust crudeness.
Myers needs to be given Legs to be Disbarred, Derided, Expelled and Ejected from Cayman, along with the ASS he rode in on.
Upper crust?? Arrogance, more like
Upper crust..?
He’s not upper crust. He’s about as posh as a sausage roll
So much more fun when Jamaican lawyers are involved in a case.
Does Myers get disbarred and or arrested for harassment?
Has he done this on the regular?
Is there any precedent for both the attorney and the client being deported following a successful appeal?
His colleagues must be so proud….
Its a tragedy for those of us who have any ethical consideration, we are hoping Richard Barton and his unvoted peers at CILPA will do something, Barton used to work with him so I am not holding my breath. Just another injustice in the court of cayman.
Myers needs to be struck off! A total abuse of his position.
Thank God the lawyer didn’t do anything unbecoming an officer of the court.
Lol
Are all uses of IT systems in Cayman lawful or are some criminal? Asking for a friend
Who enforces professional standards with respect to legal profession….. Will there be accountability?
Very loaded questions. Lots of irony. Keep asking more questions. Might be shocked to find out the truth. Things are selective. Some favoured and protected. Others persecuted. Whole system is a mess. Both sides of it. Follow the money and powerful positions. The Lodge has a role in this too. Who is actually making the decisions? Who are propped up as decoys? What two countries are quarterbacking plays in Cayman? Not hard to figure out. Some of this is hiding in plain sight. Which Caymanians are being used as puppets? Which agendas are in play? Whose agenda? Answers are easier to find out than one might think. What is being covered up? And who needs it covered up? Look into all this and answers will be unearthed. Things are not always as they appear on the surface. Bad stuff goes on. Far worse things are happening. Sad times right now.
You know, it’s not terribly helpful to list 15 questions we should be asking ourselves. If you have the answers to even five of them, share those.
No one does. No one has. The Caymanian Bar Association tried, but was disbanded. Misconduct has long been rife in the so called “noble and honorable” profession.