Rohn “Chumps Out” On Public Attendance At Ethics Hearing
Last minute motion bars public from attending St. Croix Hearing
Well we can’t say we’re surprised – if we were Atty. Lee Rohn we wouldn’t want the public in the courtroom as she answered questions in her Ethics hearing either.
A late night, last minute motion filed by Rohn asked the court to bar the public from the Ethics hearing today in St. Croix District Court after Rohn said she received an “anonymous call that people would be outside the courtroom selling coffee mugs and t shirts.”
Crucians In Focus had published Wednesday afternoon that the hearing would be open to the public. The hearing was called by a Federal judge after several colleagues of Rohn had filed complaints against her through the Ethics Complaint process.
The motion to bar the public was granted, but not until presiding Judge Cannon said, according to an eyewitness, that he expected the motion before the hearing today.
St. Croix visual artist Roy Lawaetz provided CIF with the account below of his experience at today’s hearing. As you will see, St. Croix Attorney Jeffrey Moorhead also attempted to attend the hearing, as well as Former Sen. Adelbert Bryan. Moorhead and Bryan, as well as CIF President Michael Springer are the targets of a lawsuit filed by Rohn charging “slander and defamation.”
Lawaetz’s account of his experience in court this morning is printed here as he submitted it to CIF.
“Two members of the general public who attempted to listen to the Ethics Hearing of Atty. Lee Rohn were not permitted to be present during this Thursday’s proceedings at District Court.
Crucians in Focus had stated that today’s Hearing would be open to the public on its website.
At least one reader responded to the website post to attend the Ethics Hearing, St. Croix visual artist Roy Lawaetz.
But that as it turned out was not what happened down in District Court when he arrived.
Attorney Lee Rohn stated to the Honorable Judge Cannon that she had filed a motion to have the general public sequestered from the courtroom since it was a deposition proceeding.
Judge Cannon, who presided over the 9:00 a.m. Hearing responded to Atty. Rohn that he had anticipated such a motion before the hearing today. He carefully explained to all the attorneys present that he had previously discussed the matter with Judge Savage, the Complainant in the Ethics matter.
Judge Cannon told the Court of lawyers that he would grant Atty. Rohn’s motion to have the general public absent from the courtroom.
Attorney Rohn explained passionately to the court with some anxiety that an anonymous phone call had been made previous to the Hearing “that people would be outside the courtroom selling coffee mugs and t shirts.”
Roy Lawaetz, the only member of the general public sitting in the courtroom, asked to address the court briefly. He stated that he was a man of ordinary prudence who had read in Crucians in Focus that the Hearing was open to the public.
After his brief statement to the court he vacated the courtroom politely as instructed by Judge Connor.
Several minutes later, Atty. Jeffrey Moorhead, high profile attorney and (candidate for) Delegate to Congress, also attempted to enter the courtroom to listen to the Ethics Hearing involving Rohn.
Attorney Moorhead was also not permitted to enter the courtroom by court custodians as part of the general public.
On July 23, Rohn filed an action in Virgin Islands Superior Court for” Slander and defamation” against the aforementioned websites (CruciansInFocus.com and DemManSay.com); (and individuals) Crucians In Focus President Michael Springer, Attorney Jeffrey Moorhead, former Senator Adelbert Bryan, Claude Gerard, Edwin Callwood, Dwayne Callwood and “John Does.”
 Atty. Lee Rohn in her pleading to Judge Cannon had miscalculated the public’s great interest in attending her Ethics Hearing however. “The courtroom was empty inside and out” says Lawaetz. “People could care less. I was the only one there.”
Lawaetz’s  brief  statement that he thought the Hearing was open to the general public was entered into the court’s proceedings by the court reporter.
Attorney Rohn stated a convincing variety of precedent cases defending her position to keep the public distanced from the Hearing during a deposition proceeding.
Lawaetz, a visual artist and award winning Vietnam era journalist, stated to Crucians in Focus “that he doesn’t sell coffee mugs and T shirts about personalities in court cases however. I was simply interested in learning about the Ethics Hearing procedure since I have also filed a Grievance Complaint against another member of the local V.I. Bar with the Ethics Committee of the V.I. Bar Association, another local attorney, and I simply wanted to observe how these Ethics Hearing proceedings are conducted by our local court. That was all to it. A learning process.”Â
Web: http://www.roylawaetz.com
Facebook: Roy LawaetzÂ
Lee Rohn is an extension of candidates Adlah Donastorg and Alicia Hansen. She owned them while they were senators and will own them again in return for all the gutter work they have done for her. Keep on applying the pressure CIF. They are all rats looking for available cheese.
Surprise, surprise.
Doesn’t win cases anymore.
Took a compromising picture of a professor to get out of law school. Not talented.
Looks like a dried up mango seed.
Yesterday’s news.
Tomorrow’s incarceration.
This is who Donastorg associates with.
Grasping at straws aren’t you. Say what you like about Mr. D. Donastorg/Baptiste has proven themselves to the people and will win the primary. Too bad for you, de Jongh.
Foncie we know how you’ve been with Rohn since you became a senator. It’s well known how she used you to get info to turn over to the feds in return for her indiscretions to be held up from prosecution. If you think that you’re the only one with dirt on people, your head is going to spin in due time. You and the CIF are at war with how both of you view Lee the lioness.
Foncie and Sam FOR CHANGE!!! To bad all the morons cant see it!
Moron Foncie is in Rohn pocket. We SEE that very clearly.
Donna Diageo gotta go! Attorney Moorhead is way ahead of you on St. Thomas and he hasn’t even put up a single poster! lol
Donastorg and CIF at war? And here I was thinking CIF is Donastorg’s unofficial website. Well they say you learn something new everyday.
Well I guess they are becoming concern with Donastorg leading in all polls. So the attacks started but it obviously is not working. I think Donastorg needs to keep his head up and continue to charge forward. The race is not for the swift…its for the wise.
Yall sound so retarded. Lee Rohn was actually one of the top lawyers in the island before all this crap.
That is true.
Hello. Could the poster that is using my original screen name please stop posting under my nom de plume?
CIF Administrator – is there anything that can be done about this? I did not post the above message.
Seriously, are we really going to judge the candidates based on the lawyers they hire? Back in the day no one but Rohn would take a case against Prosser.
What affiliation is there? Lee Rohn was Donastorg’s attorney against Prosser about 10 years before she got into problems.
They always pick on the strongest candidate.
@ Bring Back The 70′s @ 11:59.
We have blocked your imposter.
Thank you for letting us know.
And the media is where on this? Daily News, Source, Avis??????? Channel 8 news, channel 2 news? Alvin G????
Thank you CIF. Much appreciated!