Cornel Nicholson has been placed on $60,000 bail after his arraignment in the Georgetown Court of Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty on a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
Charged: Cornel Nicholson
This 18-year-old labourer at a car wash on Broad Street in Georgetown has pleaded not guilty to having 195 grams of marijuana in his possession on March 7.
During the bail application, defense attorney Stacy Goodings contended that Nicholson has been wrongfully accused. She informed the court that her client, who resides at Broad and Lombard Streets in Charlestown, Georgetown, has no prior convictions; and that on the day in question, he had stepped out from work to purchase an item from a nearby shop when plainclothes police officers approached him.
Goodings said that although a search was conducted on Nicholson, no narcotics were found on him. Instead, police went into an alleyway, returned with a black plastic bag, and accused Nicholson of being the owner of the suspected drugs. Whereupon, he was arrested and initially placed on $50,000 station bail before being formally charged.
However, the prosecutor informed the court that police ranks were acting on intelligence received when they proceeded to Broad Street and identified themselves to Nicholson.
The prosecutor said Nicholson was holding a black plastic bag, which when searched was found to contain leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis. As a result, he was taken into custody.
Nicholson is scheduled to return to court on March 26.
