The May criminal assizes officially opened in High Court Tuesday, though some defendants were apparently informed by court officials that the session would begin next week.
Jurors were only briefly in attendance before being dismissed by Justice Rita Joseph-Olivetti, as a case management and scheduling conference originally set for Monday was pushed back a day, since several attorneys involved in criminal matters were occupied in the Court of Appeals.
The jury was instructed to return at the start of next week, when those defendants who were not present Tuesday are also to appear in court, and the trial of Akim Stevens, accused of robbery and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, is set to start.
Trials also were scheduled for a handful of other cases.
See the May 5, 2011 edition for full coverage.