Justice:

For one day, the marriage hall at the Hôtel de la Collectivité Territoriale was transformed into a courtroom. On January 30, magistrates from the local judicial court took up residence in this large, warmly-colored room to examine a series of cases concerning Saint-Barthélemy. In the absence of a "bar", the defendants paraded before the magistrates at the altar.
A 41-year-old man is called by the president. On April 17, 2024, he was driving along the Route de Saint-Jean. He followed an unmarked Gendarmerie patrol vehicle, which noticed that the driver was not keeping a safe distance. The police decided to carry out a control. Three alcohol tests later, the man was taken into custody. He confessed to drinking Pastis. At 2.2 grams per liter of blood, in my opinion, your Ricards were flans," scolds the prosecutor. We're not here to stop you from partying or drinking. But when you've been drinking, you don't drive. "She asked for a 6-month suspended prison sentence, as the man had already been convicted of similar offences in 2019. The defendant's lawyer, who raised a nullity of the proceedings in the preamble (due to the alleged non-approval of the ethylotest), stresses that her client has "no addiction problems" and "recognizes that he should not have been behind the wheel". Deliberation will take place on May 22.

"The neighborhood pest
Bust straight, martial gait, this 53-year-old man plants himself in front of the court president. "Did you dream of being sheriff? "asks the prosecutor. For the man sports a large belt buckle and a pouch that beats at his hip is attached by a strap tied around his thigh. On December 8, 2023, the gendarmes were called to a neighborhood on the island at midnight to intervene in a neighborhood dispute. A man, the defendant, had threatened his neighbor with a knife. "I'd had a bit to drink, but I wasn't drunk," he told the court. He explained that he had left his house because "people" were making noise in the street. This was followed by an altercation with a neighbor who had allegedly trespassed on his property. He gave me three punches in the stomach," says the defendant. I'm not a circus performer. "On November 14, 2024, the gendarmes intervened again, at around 8:30pm. Residents reported to them that "an agitated man was wandering around the neighborhood with two swords that he was beating on the ground". When the soldiers arrived, the man in question, the defendant, was sitting on a low wall, smoking a cigarette. During the hearing, he asserted that he had gone out with his machete for exercise, "a bit like fencing". In court, he insists: "I was just cleaning my property. "The prosecutor got carried away: "The gentleman can't stand anything or anyone. He's the neighborhood pest and everyone's had enough! "The court gave him a four-month suspended prison sentence and banned him from carrying a weapon for three years.

Alcohol, cocaine and cannabis
On August 26, 2024, a young man aged 24 was checked at the wheel of his car at around 00:45 by gendarmes. They carried out the usual toxicology tests. They tested positive for alcohol (1.04 grams per liter of blood), cocaine and cannabis. In court, the defendant confirmed that he had consumed CBD (cannabidiol, a component of cannabis whose sale and consumption are authorized by law) and asserted that he must have come into contact with cocaine in the course of his work as a valet, touching the handles, keys and steering wheels of vehicles."I don't use it," he says. The prosecutor isn't convinced and throws in, "You're positive for THC (another component of cannabis, prohibited by law), not CBD, and you have more than a gram of alcohol in your blood. "Already convicted in 2017, 2018 and 2020 for possession of narcotics and contempt of court, the defendant was given a three-month prison sentence, which can be modified. This means he will not serve any further time in prison.

"I saw myself die
With his face closed, another defendant is called to appear in court. On November 12, 2024, this employee of a local company lost his temper with one of his company's customers. The two men didn't like each other very much, and when the customer made a contemptuous remark to him as he passed by, the 35-year-old employee "pulled the pin". He threw himself around his victim's neck and strangled him. It was only when another employee intervened that he let go. "I saw myself die", testified the victim at his hearing. In court, he added: "It's one thing for us not to get along. That he hit me is another. "While insisting that she would never legitimize violence, the prosecutor nonetheless stressed: "In life, some people have a capacity to make you angry, like a toothache, right up to the point of explosion. "She addresses the defendant: "The problem, sir, is that you didn't have the right answer. You need to control yourself. If you can't keep your nerves in check, keep your distance. "The man was given a three-month suspended prison sentence and fined 800 euros for non-material damage.