BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – A 27-year-old man is due to re-appear in court on September 24 after he was charged for flashing a gang sign, which the authorities say is a gesture tied to gang activity.
Lyndon Alexander St. Claire was arraigned late Tuesday before Magistrate Ludlow Black on the charge of promoting gang-related activity, specifically, using a hand signal associated with the Crips gang.
St. Claire, who appeared in court without a lawyer, is alleged to have committed the crime on July 28 after investigators said they spotted him in photos making the gesture.
St. Claire pleaded not guilty, but under Belize’s Crimes Control and Criminal Justice Act, the offense is severe enough that bail can’t be granted at the Magistrate’s level.
He was advised to seek legal help and apply for bail through the High Court, but that process could take up to 90 days.
He has since been remanded to the Belize Central Prison, with his next court date set for September 24.
Meanwhile, police are continuing their investigations into the death of 31-year-old Tyrone Meighan, who was shot and killed last Friday amid an escalation of violence between feuding groups in Belize City.
In 2012, Meighan and two others were charged with killing Belize Defence Force (BDF) soldier James Norales. They were found not guilty in 2015, and a retrial followed. Still, the trial judge tossed the testimony of a witness who claimed that the soldier was targeted for allegedly working with police as weak and circumstantial. Meighan walked free again.
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