A crime is a crime no matter how trivial. It is not the amount, it is the intent.

Thou shalt not kill!

One cannot argue with that but …….

Our court system is so overloaded we have prisoners awaiting trial long past the provisions now law in the Bill of Rights.

A prisoner is challenging one such case in our courts and many more will follow.

Then we have the cases going to trial that would seem at the onset the Crown couldn’t possibly win.

Such a case that fits both the trivial and the unwinnable went to court this week before a judge and jury. Imagine the cost of that alone without the preparation that went on before.

Aaron Hydes (23) was charged with presenting a counterfeit CI$50 bill at the South Coast Bar in Breakers to purchase two beers.

Hydes told the court that he and a friend stopped at the bar and his friend had given him the $50 note to purchase the beers. He did not know the bill was counterfeit.

After handing over the note to the female bartender, who examined it, it was found to be false. He then heard his friend whistle to him and he told the bartender he would be back leaving the beers and note.

When he reached the car his friend said they had to go immediately and so they left.

Hydes was not questioned about the note by the police until more than five months had passed by. The police gave no reason for the long delay.

Then the trial was delayed another 24 hours because the police couldn’t find the forged note!!

To be found guilty of passing a forged bank note you have to have known it was counterfeit before so doing it.

The police and the prosecution must have known this. Unless Hydes’ friend had appeared for the prosecution or given evidence that Hydes knew it was counterfeit there could be no way it could be proved this was the case.

It took the jury only thirty minutes to acquit Hydes.

I find this is utterly appalling. While the big fish are left dangling and in time can be let free because of the delay or can bite their catcher’s hand off, we catch the small fry who can swim away because the holes in the net are too large.

After weighing up all of the above.

NO!! We shouldn’t prosecute trivial cases and especially ones even an untrained eye can see can’t possibly be won.