A senior Pentagon official resigned Friday over controversial remarks in which he criticized lawyers who represent terrorism suspects, the Defense Department said.  Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said Charles ”Cully” Stimson, deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs, told him on Friday that he had made his own decision to resign and was not asked to leave by Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

"The Deputy Assistant Secretary did the right thing." said Tom Bolt, President of the American Counsel Association, the oldest association of independent law firms.  "But this does not end here, I am confident that when the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates convenes later this month that we will address the issue of detainees, their right to counsel and other issues relative to the proper administration of justice." Bolt said.

Continue Reading Pentagon Official Resigns Over Detainee Remarks

Although this year’s Omnibus Authorization Bill and Government Reform and Modernization Bill are massive pieces of legislation – 89 pages in the omnibus bill and 260 pages in the reform bill – about half of the pages are dedicated to adding new uniform laws to the V.I. Code.

Put together, the bills propose that 11 new uniform laws be added to the territory’s laws. Attorney Tom Bolt, who is the chairman of the Virgin Islands Uniform Law Commission, said the U.S. Constitution sets up several laws for every part of the United States but delegates a lot of lawmaking to individual states and territories. Uniform laws are form laws agreed upon by a national commission of attorneys, then offered and passed by state and territorial legislatures.

Bolt said that uniform laws are useful because they protect people – regardless of where in the United States they may move.

"People are mobile, and you can have the same law covering several places," Bolt said. Continue Reading Changes Would Put VI Law on Par With States

Virgin Islands Pollster John Boyd recently released his latest poll of registered voters in both the District of St. Croix and the District of St. Thomas-St. John of issues of importance in the General Election to be held November 7th.  The top four issues cited by voters were public safety, education, economic development and roads.  Crime has long been a concern to the Territory’s voters with many pundits cited its impact on the Virgin Islands leading industry, tourism, as well as upon quality of life for residents.

Continue Reading Crime Tops Voters Concerns

Virgin Islands Bar Association President Joycelyn Hewlett tapped St. Thomas attorney Tom Bolt to Co-Chair the Bar’s Committee on Legislation and Law Reform.  Bolt Chaired the Committee from 1987-1993.  He is the former Counsel to the Virgin Islands Legislature and will Co-Chair the Committee with former Virgin Islands Senator and Attorney General, Iver A Stridiron.

Continue Reading VI Bar Appoints Tom Bolt to Chair Legislation Committee