A forewoman's decision to congratulate President-nominee Anthony Carmona in open court during a trial caused the case to be aborted yesterday.

All the evidence had been heard in the matter and Carmona was due to begin summing up in the case on Thursday, when the forewoman rose and said: "Congratulations to you on your appointment, on you know what. You will have our support. We know you will do a great job."

Her comments came during the case of Dwayne Pope, who was on trial charged with the possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

The trial had started last December, with the State calling two witnesses and the defence calling two witnesses. Pope also testified in his defence in the San Fernando Second Criminal Court.

When the matter resumed yesterday and the nine-member jury entered the courtroom, Carmona said that two incidents the day before "impact on the integrity of the matter".

"I am not alleging any kind of impropriety on the part of the jurors. What was done was done in the view of engaging the positive by a community," he said.

Carmona also mentioned that a note was passed to him by another juror, "asking me to come down to a particular community, a particular NGO, to speak to young men, between the ages of 16 and 19, to try and assist a situation."

He said "it was done out of sheer goodwill. I am humbled by your request".

Carmona said the trial may have been compromised and he didn't want his opinion during his summation to sway the jury.

"If I had expressed a certain opinion, you all may say he has been nominated as President of a country and he must be right."

A retrial was ordered and Brown, who is on bail, was told to return to court on May 17.

As the jury left, they shook hands with Carmona.

The forewoman told Carmona before leaving, "having heard what you said, we are very touched. On behalf of the jurors we know you will do a good job".

—Nikita Braxton-Benjamin