General Chat

It will be very difficult to select the 'correct' jury for this trial.
Similarly, the venue for the trial 'may' have to be moved, to ensure that this man receives a fair trial, as is his basic human riite. (right).
This is, John, wether you like it or not.

Julia in Derbyshire

Julia A fair trial is what I want. Am sure it is what we all want on here. I have absolutely no idea about all of this at moment, and am watching developments as closely as I can. Deep debate in Carpaninis coffee shop in the Rhondda yesterday about it all and a lot of ill-based speculation.

Nearly waded in with my "you don't know anything about it" but refrained.

Have tried to search on google for why no plea was entered yesterday. Failed, Think I saw "85 days maximum" mentioned and, yes, I feel it must have something to do with selecting a jury. I did genuinely expect that, once the case had been bumped up to County Court, that a plea would be made.

John, this person, along side everyone else in this country being charged with an offence, has three options of pled.
Guilty, not guilty, and the rite to silence.

He has obviously excersised his rite to remain silent.

Julia in Derbyshire

http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguide/court/crown-court.htm

The above link may give more of an insight.

Many thanks, Supercrutch. That was what I could not find when I searched.

Have only once been on a jury. And that was in a magistrate's court. The whole process seems very complicated.

I didnt realise they had jury's in a magistrates court , I thought it was the magistrates that heard the case and decided if the accused is gulity or not gulity but as I am not familair with courts I will stand corrected.

I think you are correct Hayley :-D

You are correct Hayley. :-D

Unless of course John is a JP and really meant 'bench'

Sorry, must have been a higher court. Come to think, he did have a wig. It was a horrible case about child abuse, and was one of the low points of my life. :-(

Was hoping for something a bit more exciting. Not something that still gives me the heeby jeebies 20 years later.

From http://www.guardian.co.uk/

On Monday Bridger made his first appearance in public since his arrest, when he was taken before magistrates in Aberystwyth. A crowd gathered outside court and the van in which he was travelling was attacked as it arrived and departed. Bridger's eyes filled with tears as the charges were read out.

Magistrates said the charges were so serious that the case would have to be dealt with in a crown court. He was remanded into custody and driven to HMP Manchester, formerly known as Strangeways.

Mark Leonard Bridger, 46, remained in prison in Manchester rather than appearing in person at the brief preliminary hearing at Caernarfon crown court in north-west Wales.

*

So he initially appeared at a Magistrates Court who immediately refered him to a Crown Court.

From Supercrutch's link

The first hearing at Crown Court after committal is the plea and case management hearing (“PCMH”). A PCMH takes place in every case in the Crown Court, and its purpose is to ensure that all necessary steps have been taken in preparation for trial and sufficient information has been provided for a trial date to be arranged. The judge is required to exercise a managerial role with a view to progressing the case.

*
This stage of the proceedings is rarely mentioned in the media.

Please spare a thought for April's family and the search teams. We have areas of flooding here today a bit further South.

If the river they have been searching has risen again it must be soul destroying.

Sue

Very timely reminder, Sue. Their morale today will be rock bottom. Has been horrendous in S Wales today also, but think it should be drier tomorrow and across weekend.

Search for April still in full swing this week. 14 days today since she went missing. Let us hope for news.

Thoughts with family and friends. And those searching (over 100 skilled men and women) and those supporting them with food and laundry.

Just returned from driving through town. There are pink ribbons everywhere.

I hope they do find her soon.

Sky News this evening

"The search for missing April Jones could continue until Christmas and beyond, police have said.

Major search efforts to find the five-year-old schoolgirl are ongoing, and Dyfed Powys Police say the hunt may not end for months.

"We said goodbye to 150 officers this morning and they've been replaced by another 150 specialists," Superintendent Ian John said, speaking from April's home town of Machynlleth.

"Numbers may fluctuate a bit on a daily basis, but whilst we still have viable lines of inquiry, we will continue to search.

"We could still be here at Christmas or the new year, we could be finished in two weeks."

He added: "The numbers involved in searching are always under review.

"Hopefully we will find April soon. We are not going anywhere until we have done our job.

"We are here for the long-term if we need to be."

He said that specialist searches from 16 separate police forces were helping in the ongoing hunt for April.

They were backed up by fire service urban area search and rescue teams, hazardous area search teams and teams from the ambulance service.

Mountain rescue teams were brought back in over the weekend as different terrain was encountered and closely searched.

Specialists capable of working in confined areas such as pot holes, caves and mine shafts are used when needed.

Hazards for which the experts need to be prepared include encountering gases such as methane which have built up.

While a myriad of tunnels and shafts are explored underground, commercial volunteers are helping with aerial searches.

Private planes full of technology otherwise unavailable to the police have been helping to spot promising areas to search.

Sonar technology and specialist equipment which can pinpoint heat signatures from the air are being used. The data it produces is closely examined and used to target specific areas to search.

April was last seen on October 1 on the Bryn-y-Gog estate where she lived."

Did you see church in Machynlleth lit up in pink lighting last night.? 3 weeks since April disappeared.

Search still at full strength and area still united in support for the search and for April's family and close friends.

Let's pray and hope for a result soon.

April Jones police force investigating new child kidnap attempt
23 Oct 2012 00:00

Detectives are hunting a man in a white van who grabbed a nine-year-old boy’s arm on his way to school


The police force searching for missing April Jones is investigating another attempted child abduction.

Detectives are hunting a man in a white van who grabbed a nine-year-old boy’s arm on his way to school yesterday morning.

The youngster wriggled free and escaped in the village of Llandybie, Carmarthenshire, 70 miles from Machynlleth where five-year-old April disappeared three weeks ago.

Dyfed-Powys police are not linking the two cases.

Mark Bridger, 46, is charged with April’s murder.

A police spokeswoman said of yesterday’s attack: “There is no description of the man.

"Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact police immediately.”

I thought at the start kids said she got in a white van??? but then Mark Bridger blue car came into it.
confused .com

N,

The town has a pink star which is going to be lite for the duration of the towns christmas lights which have been turned on,,,,,,,the 1st tomorrow,,,,,,8 weeks since April went missing on 1st October.

I'm sure no one has forgotten this little mite....... :-(

and there are still teams of police looking for her