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Lawyer Vonda Pile Found GUILTY as Charged!

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Vonda Pile was found guilty earlier today of thieving close to $200,000 dollars from a client Anstey King. The blogmaster salutes Mr. King for finding the time to pursue this matter which was kicked about in our dysfunctional justice system for several years. If the judge suffers no damascene moment- like in the  James O’Rourke matter- Pile will be handed a hefty sentence for breaking the law stripped of her role as an officer of the court. She was remanded until July 16.

Vonda Pile is featured in Barbados Underground’s Lawyer in the News.

One regret of this blogmaster is that John Griffiths did not have the wherewithal to also criminally prosecute former Speaker of the House MICHAEL CARRINGTON.

Another matter irking the blogmaster is to observe former minister of Michael Lashley in our Courts on a daily basis representing minibus men by exploiting laws he helped to enanct as a policymaker. There is something very wrong here.

Time longer than twine!

 

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156 responses to “Lawyer Vonda Pile Found GUILTY as Charged!”

  1. Dentistry Whisperer (M. Pharm. D) LinkedIN Avatar
    Dentistry Whisperer (M. Pharm. D) LinkedIN

    About time! next one will be Sir Trevor Carmichael LLP Haynes Darlington. (M. Pharm.D)

  2. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    What is going to stop her doing like Richard Arthur? This country is really a joke place. How can you give a convicted person bail because he has high blood pressure( that’s the story floating around)? So if his condition doesn’t improve is he going to get off scotch free? Surely the prison has provisions for dealing with ill prisoners..

  3. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    What about Phillip Nicholls?

    While we’re at it, we might as well designate all lawyers as criminal.

  4. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    Vonda only ended up in court because she refused to pay back her client his money. Carrington didnt end up in court because he was able to pay Griffith his money and Lashley could represent whomever he wishes notwithstanding he was at some point he was a Cabinet Minister.

    the present speaker is a trial lawyer and only recently withdrew from the cocaine in a yacht case

    if i am reading the tea leaves correctly the Bim public is fed up with all the malfeasance

    on another note i just got my land taxes and i must say MAM and co are really taking the piss.

  5. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Recently we had judges roaring like tigers and at the moment of action they purr like house cats. It will be interesting to see if the judge comes up with a pat on the wrist.
    Don’t be fool bey people going through the motions or completing a checklist. The end result matters.

  6. David Avatar
    David

    You missed the point bigly about Carrington. Note the qualification – wherewithal. It was a civil matter and not criminal.

    Yes Lashley can practice law but is this the bigger point being made? Some of you can be do myopic.

  7. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ the Honourable Blogmaster,

    I figured that the point that you were making is twofold

    1…That the aggrieved party was able to pursue this matter under the civil chapeau and win

    and

    2…that the party had enough money to do so.

    But this speaks to a third matter which is that assuredly the plaintiff might have carried this matter to the Disciplinary Committee and to the Barbados Bar Association and DID NOT GET ANY SATISFACTION.

    De ole man would put this to you that the plaintiff should now be able to put both of those WASTE FOOP ORGANISATIONS in court and secure compensation from them.

    What do you think about that?

    Speaking about other legal matters that need to be prosecuted in court, whatever happened with the contents of your JOTFORM? Mussee in file thirteen by now

    heheheheheheheheh

  8. SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    ONE: Will there be an appeal?
    TWO: If a lawyer is convicted of a criminal offence, is the Bar Association required to take any action? And if so what?

  9. BajanFeeParty Avatar
    BajanFeeParty

    I told you all that crook on my list, love money and long talking and taking US coming for a few more soon , Donville shall speak. Ralph Thorne is another that fool will have his day in Jail one day, Offshore accounts holding US funds and other Bajan American,

  10. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    Mr Blogmaster, you need to expand your bigger point re the Lashleys of our world!

    Why are you irked that a former cabinet minister is involved in the these type ‘afffairs’ of his previous area of control … Did he help draft the laws and included loop holes which he now exploits?

    Or is he in some other way using insider details to circumvent or undermine the rule of law?

    We must aggressively go after these folks when they step over the line and this man surely appeared to as a minister according to public details …but we can’t condemn a person for acting withing the full boundaries of the law regardless of how ‘conflicted’ it may look!

  11. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    Pornville is going to get an adjournment

  12. Robert Goren Avatar
    Robert Goren

    It did not surprised me that Greene CONVENIENTLY missed the point that was being made about Michael Carrington. After all, he admitted to being a DEM.

    How could Greene say Carrington did not end up in Court, when the dishonest lawyer was ordered by Madame Justice Cornelius to pay Griffiths in a specific time period along with interest?

    The difference between Pile’s and Carrington’s cases is the former was a criminal matter, while the latter was a civil matter.

    If Carrington taking over two years to pay Griffiths, during which time he refused to respond to Griffiths’ several requests for payment, indicates he could have paid Griffiths his money, then I’ll be damned.

    Carrington’s behaviour merited criminal proceedings and not a civil suit.

  13. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    Over and above the case for which she was apparently condemned, is the general hostility to Vonda and the celebration of her fall from grace anything to do with her background from Deacons?

  14. Robert Goren Avatar
    Robert Goren

    I can tell that this discussion will be hijacked by BLP & DLP sympathisers who will come out making comparisons between Michael Carrington, Michael Lashley and Arthur Holder. References will be made to the man charged for the cocaine on the yacht because he is perceived to be a BEE.

    I believe that, as Speaker of the House, there are certain cases Arthur Holder should take. I also believe that being a former Cabinet minister should not prevent Michael Lashley right to earn a living as a lawyer. What I believe people may frown upon is the fact that he was a former transport minister who is ALLEGED to have unscrupulously approved the disbursement of several PSV permits and is himself the owner of PSVs.He also enacted laws governing that sector.

    Yet he defends PSV operators that break those laws, among other things.

  15. David Avatar
    David

    For whatever reason the few submissions people prefer to keep their matters offline, leaving out specifics. Will promote it again in light of the Vonda Pile story to see if it provokes a response.

  16. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    @ Hal Austin June 5, 2019 4:24 AM

    I noticed her background and was wondering why she had to defend herself in court. One is always advised not to defend oneself in legal matters.What struck me was the fact that none of the criminals ( that is,. lawyers, my opinion of that lot has not changed) came to her defense. This cannibalistic attitude does not surprise me.

  17. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ Robert Lucas

    I met Vonda on two occasions, both times in the company of the late Trevor ‘Job’ Clarke and each time she was polite and friendly. So much so that I had some legal issues and thought of hiring her to do it.
    However, in a conversation with a senior politician, I mentioned her name and the politician, without missing a beat, said he had appeared in the magistrates’ court that day as a witness and she was also in court accused of sometime.
    Apparently they tried to railroad her and she reacted. He described the scene in the court and the reaction from officials. That was years ago. I formed the impression then that there was a class bias against her. Trevor agreed with me. She was Trevor’s lawyer in his case against the Nation.
    Why has the court remanded her in custody? What threat would she pose to justice if remanded on bail with sureties? Is this further evidence of the courts exhibiting their class bias?

  18. David Avatar
    David

    @Dr. Lucas

    Michael Lashley QC pleaded on her behalf yesterday.

    If the evidence supports that as an officer of the court she betrayed its trust what is the problem?

    What this case should do is encourage others to pursue their rights under the law.

  19. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ the Honourable Blogmaster

    You said and I quote

    “…What this case should do is encourage others to pursue their rights under the law…”

    I am glad you said that.

    It has triggered two things.

    Could you ask the Luminary Mr Jeff Cumberbatch to provide a narrative about the two processes so that ingrunt people, (of whom de ole MSN numbereth among the first 5), could see the steps and options?

    De ole man would then create a Stoopid Cartoon to display the options for a citizen who has been unfaired

    We have to do this differently.

    By the way.

    Have you been noticing that the daily newspapers have been improving their content?

    In fact, Barbados Today (forgive that awful curseword) has been copying every article that is here on BU!

  20. David Avatar
    David

    Noted.

  21. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    @Hal

    from all accounts Vonda is a good lawyer and is generally well-liked by her clients. she messed up on this occasion and deserves what she got. if other lawyers do / did the same they should be punished accordingly. lawyers in Bim are not like solicitors in the UK. v few abide by the client care ethos they learnt at Uni. Have no sympathy for none of them regardless of social background.

    @ Goren

    yes i generally support the DLP. that stemmed from the 70s party and when i worked for a short period in Bim in the early 80s i had a taste of the BLP corruption, vindictiveness and nastiness. in addition a school friend was told by Tom that he would never work in Bim again and he never did. the 14 Arthur years desecrated the West Coast and was the boon period for greed and corruption. mind you it was no where it started but this is where it took serious hold. if Bim is failing it is my belief that is the period is where the failing took hold- it was a time of success and a time of failure. success on the surface and the fissures of failure not far below. the last iteration of the DLP after Thommo and notwithstanding the recession did nothing to solve our problems and deserve what they got. i shed no tears for them.

    that is the backdrop to my preference for the DLP. if you want to call me a Dee i have no issue with that.

    to carrington’s case now. it was a civil matter so he could not be incarcerated thus to that extent he was not in the same boat as Vonda who faced criminal sanctions. he paid back the money as per the Judges’ orders yes and Vonda could have paid back before the matter reached the police. so although they appear similar they are distinct. in addition the nature and lead up to both matters were not the same. from what i have read Carrington did not pay back his client in time whilst Pile denied she owed her client.

    now from you last submission you and i could agree on Michael Lashley.

    i take it that you are not a BLP supporter, correct?

  22. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David

    Fronting this case as the reason for others to pursue a similar process is about the maintenance of a corrupt system at its core.

    You know that all Barbadian, and visitors alike, are at high risk of being victims of lawyers and you try to tell us that we should look to the very, same, perpetrators for justice.

    For you, to keep a sick and dying system in place is paramount when radical measures have long been clearly required.

    The same way no amount of convictions of rapists will stop rapes, no amount of locking up lawyers will stop them thieffing.

    For this is an ingrained culture within the legal profession. Bajans would be fools to think that ANY lawyer is not a crook.

  23. Robert Goren Avatar
    Robert Goren

    @ Greene

    You said :Carrington DIDN’T END UP IN COURT because he was able to pay Griffith his money,” which is untrue, because he was ordered by the Court to pay Griffiths. And that was the point I made.

    In your 7:17am contribution you, as Bajans would say, twisted your mouth to say Carrington’s case was a civil matter, which is what I also said.

    I never said the cases were similar. If you read my 4:22am contribution you would have seen I made the distinction by saying “The difference between Pile’s and Carrington’s cases is the former was a criminal matter, while the latter was a civil matter.”

    So, you are repeating what I said.

    As it relates to the BLP and DLP, I have known cases where people, including me, experienced DLP corruption, vindictiveness and nastiness. I know people who were hired at certain government agencies under the 1986 DLP administration and were appointed, while people who were working years before were not appointed, just because they were employed under the BEES. Training and overseas courses were reserved only for DEMS. I could go on.

    Unlike you, I don’t favour the BEES or the DEMS. I believe they are cut from the same cloth.

  24. David Avatar
    David

    If the members of the DLP and BLP are members of the political class not averse to being incestuous what is the point.

  25. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    I must say that I was surprised by this case. Vonda was recommended to me once by the same Michael Lashley as a woman who assured me that she would fight for her clients as he did. I hired her to write a letter. It was a family matter and I was conflicted. I was supposed to get back to her with further information but I hesitated. Vonda wrote the letter at the agreed date based on the information I had already provided and posted it to me to do with as I wished. She was very pleasant and professional. From all accounts I have read Vonda fought hard for her clients.

    A former workmate of mine from Deacons told me years ago that when Vonda’s mother realized her daughter’s ability, she raided every mango, gooseberry and dunks tree so that Vonda could get an education and would not have to steal. This is in keeping with the tradition of many Bajan mothers of the day who said they whored so that their daughters would not have to whore.

    Vonda loved her mother. It was indeed obvious when I saw them together at Sheraton Centre some years ago. Vonda recognized me from just our brief interaction and asked me how I was doing.

    This act would not have pleased her mother who sacrificed herself so Vonda could be clean.

    I’m sorry I did not go to the court and hear the case myself.

    Why would Vonda not have paid back the money and made this case disappear???????

    Most clients are just interested in the return of the money.

    Just wondering…….

  26. David Avatar
    David

    @Pacha

    Not all lawyers are bad this the blogmaster knows first hand. The system is dysfunctional.

  27. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    @Goren

    cool. so there you have it. we all have our story.

  28. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    I notice the money laundering charge did not stick. Hmmm……

  29. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    Never mind the guilty verdict, was there an order of restitution? Without said order the victim is still out his money and the guilty serves their time and is free to live on the spoils after release from jail. I also note that the case was decided by a 7-2 majority ah wonder what influenced the two people who were inclined to let her walk.

    Whatever happened to the case against Archie Lynch?

  30. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Donna’s contribution is really touching. This is coming from someone who is bias. For we really feel that no woman should be in jail. That there should not be any jails at all!

    But, we’ve had three separate case where lawyers that we grew up with, had various relationship with, went to school with, trusted to a fault, did the same kinds of things to us, our families.

    This problem does not occur within the USA because lawyers generally don’t get to handle moneys belonging to others, there are some exceptions. Michael Avennatti, for example. But for routine property matters and the like, no.

    Barbados could easily set up an independent system to handle money and documents transfers. But because of the centrality of thieffing to that ‘profession’ this will never happen.

  31. SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    @Hal at 4:24

    I rarely agree with Hal but I must second his question.

    Barbados is one of the most class biased place i have ever encountered. If 50 years ago i attended the Federal and someone else attended the Modern, it does not matter what else I have done in the past 50 years, I am still not quiet as good as a Modernite.

    But we learned our class bias from England [note that I did not say the United Kingdom].

    So in terms of class bias I would say England, Grenada, Barbados.

    If Vonda had been born and raised in Sandy Lane, or “better still” overseas, would people still be rejoicing?

    Or would they be making excuses?

    For example ask any former BRA employee who is no longer bound by secrecy how many of the political class are up to date with their taxes, ask whether or not some have ever even filed a tax return? Ask which of them offer “I am travelling” or “I am overseas” when called in to settle their taxes (the leeches).

  32. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David

    If that is so, ‘not all lawyers are bad’

    Then publish a list then, if you got the guts.

    We guarantee, that sooner or later, only shame and disgrace will befall you!

    For that massive failure to recognize the true potency of the prevailing legal culture.

  33. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    Re ex Ministers taking cases after being turfed from office: I seemed to remember one Barrack being represented by an ex Minister in his suit against the Government. The same lawyer who happened to be a Minister when Barrack was awarded the contract to build the building at Warrens and who was part of the Cabinet that refused to pay Barrack after he sued the Government.

    I hope the purported Bill that the PM said would be enacted within a short period of time of assuming office addresses those conflicts or loopholes that yuh could drive a truck through.

    #bajanshaveshortmemories

  34. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    s/b I seem to remember …….( I need another coffee)

  35. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    Unless you are a top lawyer , you seldom have the opportunity to be rich. Sometimes in an effort to prove they are doing great financially some professionals engage in stupid actions.
    Sometimes professionals coming from very poor economic backgrounds get themselves in problems.
    Professionals from the monied class can clean up their acts via assistance from their families.
    Not all professionals from poor economic backgrounds are dishonest or lacking moral character. It’s quite the opposite.
    Unfortunately the “ I want a plantation and I want it at any cost “mentality has taken root. (Johnny Ma Boy/ John King now Cabinet Minister- Calypsonian.
    A sister has fallen let’s measure our thoughts with humility.

  36. SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    @Robert Lucas at 5:52 a.m.

    I don’t know whether or not Vonda chose not to hire a lawyer.

    To tell the truth i was surprised that she represented herself.

    But if none of her colleagues offered her representation I would not be at all surprised.

    As I said on another thread last week in Barbados black working women are the wretched of the earth.

    And virtually all of us are the children or grandchildren of black working class women. The hate for the people who are just like the black working class women who birthed us and who nurtured us is stunning.

  37. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    @ Donna,

    i believe the money laundering charge did not stick because many people misunderstand what money laundering actually means in law. as far as i am aware there is no charge that actually contains the words “money laundering”. it is the what the various charges are referred to as a heading and that is where the confusion lies. in addition when people hear money laundering they see Miami Vice where a drug dealer goes into a bank with suitcase full of money and tells a bank manager to clean that money thru the banking system. money laundering charges began that way and has expanded a lot since.

    in actuality money laundering is about the disposal of the proceeds of criminal conduct. criminal conduct being the predicate crime like theft in this case and disposal is one deals with the criminal property (the money) in this case. so if Vonda had anything to do with the use, retention, transfer of the criminal property she should have been convicted of M/L.

    in many jurisdictions m/l is an add on charge to dishonesty offences (where it concerns property which does have to be money only) in addition to drug offences

  38. SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    @Pachamama at 7:56

    Well the late great Erroll Barrow is supposed to have said “if you want justice don’t look to James Street”. James Street is where the lawyers used to hang out.

    Errol Barrow was a lawyer, and as the saying goes “it takes one to know one.”

  39. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Sir William

    Seeks to paste over the criminal nature of lawyers by appealing for refuse in the socio-economic.

    Unfortunately, what we are dealing with here is a deeply ingrained culture of thieffing where lawyers cover-up for one another, routinely.

    So the crime is not a single act, as it metastasizes and makes additional victims of the would be innocent.

    Sir William, if your proffer is correct then you, and David, should publish a list of these practicing lawyers who are not dishonest.

    We demand it!

  40. SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    That said, I have never served on a jury, but a relative who did told me afterwards “If I ever get charged with anything, I want a trial by judge only, because Bajan juries are…”

    Wunna fill in the blanks.

  41. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    Ah spare me the poor me crap! So far, I haven’t read any expression of sympathy for the victim who perhaps entrusted his life savings to the lawyer and end up being burnt. Maybe he chose her because he came from the same background and was extending a hand to someone who needed some assistance.

    If any here had been victimized they wouldn’t be so forgiven, its easy to be magnanimous when it’s the other guy who has been screwed.

    BTW there is another case on the docket against a female lawyer (Cheraine Nicole Parris) who has strung out a client for over $300 grand….

  42. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Sir William

    We have one for that list

    Only that his mother died

    And his father aint born yet.

  43. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Sargeant,

    I am questioning what really happened here. I am not making excuses. If she did the crime then I have no sympathy.

    Pacha,

    You are wrong. Just a few weeks ago I told you of an honest lawyer. It so happened that the next day she called me whilst on her way to work and asked how I was doing. I told her about our interaction and she was hesitant about having her name passed on to anonymous bloggers. She does not associate with the crooked ones and she is trying to avoid further victimization. They often try to use her as scapegoat when they are delinquent in representing their clients. So far she has been able to counter. She prefers to keep a low profile.

  44. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Simple,

    If the logic of the jurors is similar to what is often displayed here then a judge would be the best bet.

  45. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Pacha

    Are you suggesting that if you were to become a lawyer tomorrow you would automatically become a thief?

  46. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    I have never heard of discrimination between the Modern and the Federal High. The Modern High never participated in such. Neither did the Federal. Quite frankly in my time all the students from all the schools were pranksters in the bus stand etc.
    It’s a dangerous thing to generalise our inferior complex.

  47. David Avatar
    David

    @Simple Simon

    Did you attend the trial? If no give us a break.

    How long has Pile been on bail?

  48. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Sir William

    The legal cultural would, in and of itself, makes that outcome axiomatic.

  49. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Donna

    Sometimes the exception proves the rule, no?

  50. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Donna
    The lady has been practicing law for twenty seven years. You should realize by now that once we are given the pound of flesh we usually want all the blood as well. She has faced the law courts and has been found guilty. This should be the end of the matter but oh no we must now drive her into the ground.
    Same thing with Lashley, he lost his seat so he must now starve (.Bees)
    When Payne was no longer a Minister and represented Barrak he should also starve (Dees)
    You note the social and political cannibalism to which we have descended. We are drifting into an era of social and political decadence. The crabs in the bucket mentality. Suddenly all lawyers the majority of whom are black are thieves.
    However a white QC Shepherd who skinned his ass at a black female judge never even got a slap on his risk.

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