The ongoing Capitol Arson trial has been temporarily suspended following a petition filed before the Supreme Court of Liberia by former House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and several other defendants.
The petition challenges what the defense team describes as an irregular and legally questionable decision by Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie of Criminal Court “A” to dissolve the seated jury and reconstitute a new panel in the high-profile criminal proceeding.
According to former Speaker Koffa and others (petitioners), Judge Willie’s action taken in the middle of an intensely watched trial risks undermining the defendants’ constitutional right to a fair and impartial jury.
The petitioners contend that disbanding the jury at this crucial stage introduces procedural instability and threatens the integrity of the judicial process, especially in a matter already subjected to significant public scrutiny.
Responding to the petition, the Supreme Court issues a stay order, summoning Judge Willie with unusual speed. In a formal notice dated March 2, 2026, Associate Justice Yussif D. Kaba, sitting in chambers, ordered Judge Willie to appear before the court for a conference on March 5 at 2:00 p.m. The conference is expected to allow the Court to hear from the trial judge and review the concerns raised by the petitioners (defendants).
In addition to summoning Judge Willie, Justice Kaba issued a stay order, freezing all ongoing actions, proceedings, and decisions in the Capitol Arson trial until the Supreme Court determines the merits of the petition.
The stay order halts the case entirely, including further jury activity, courtroom hearings, and procedural motions. The order from the high court effectively places the already controversial trial on hold and shifts jurisdiction temporarily from Criminal Court “A” to the Supreme Court’s chambers.
The high-profile case involves multiple defendants, including prominent political figure Koffa, and has drawn national attention since the charges were first announced. With the Chambers Justice’s intervention, legal analysts say the case has entered a “procedural pause,” with the focus now on whether the trial judge acted within the bounds of judicial discretion.
Inside the Temple of Justice, the halt has created an unusual courtroom atmosphere. Lawyers have ceased filing motions, jurors have been dismissed from further involvement pending clarity, and the public, already following the case closely, now awaits the Supreme Court’s direction on how the trial will proceed.
What is expected next from the trial is a pivotal question: whether the Supreme Court will uphold Judge Willie’s decision to dissolve the jury, or rule that the action was improper and order the reinstatement of the original panel.
The Chambers Justice’s decision following the March 5 conference will determine whether the Capitol Arson trial resumes immediately, restarts with a new jury, or undergoes further legal challenges. For now, the case remains suspended not because of witness testimony or evidentiary issues but due to a procedural clash that has elevated the matter from the trial bench to the nation’s highest court.
