Amead Williams at an advisement hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 15 where he was informed that he faces the possibility of life in prison without parole. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. CROIX — An attorney who was assigned to represent a man accused of a heinous crime intends to file a motion to be relieved of the case.
Attorney Alisha Udhwani represented 27-year-old Amead Williams at an advisement hearing on Wednesday, where he was informed that he faces the possibility of life in prison without parole. Williams was recently extradited to the Virgin Islands from West Virginia to face charges in connection with the 2018 murder of Emile Brin. According to police, the 23-year old’s mother reported him missing on July 14, 2018. A body was discovered later that same day, burned beyond recognition in a vehicle at Hams Bluff, Frederiksted. Subsequent investigations revealed that Emile Brin was killed in a home in Frederiksted by two men.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Udhwani initially asked that Williams’s bail be lowered to $250,000 instead of the initial $1,000,000 which was set at the time he was taken into custody. The attorney stressed that bail is set to ensure that the defendant appears in court as required, not as a form of punishment. Udhwani also asked that the court allow additional time to find a suitable third-party custodian for the accused.
However, Karabo Molyneaux-Molloy firmly maintained that bail should remain set in the amount of $1 million fully secured. The Assistant Attorney General asserted that in keeping with procedure, bail is set to protect the community, noting that Williams is a flight risk and a danger to the community.
Molyneaux- Molloy revealed that the defendant previously violated the pretrial release conditions of another criminal matter by failing to report for probation. Additionally, while that matter remained pending, Williams was charged with robbery and possession of an unlicensed firearm in September 2018. According to Molyneaux- Molloy, lowering the bail amount may not ensure the defendant’s future court appearances as he previously fled the jurisdiction and had to be extradited to face the current charges.
Following these arguments, Attorney Udhwani reiterated the request to have the bail hearing put off until a custodian could be found. She further expressed that immediately after Wednesday’s proceedings she would file a motion to be relieved of the case as she does not consider herself equipped to handle a matter of that nature.
The Attorney expressed that in addition to her responsibilities as president of the V.I. Bar Association, she is ‘extremely strapped’ as she currently has several other legal matters requiring her attention. Moreover, she asserted that while she has some experience with criminal matters, she has only gone through one bench trial and second chaired a matter involving a white-collar crime. As such, Udhwani stated that she does not believe she can currently provide the most fitting legal counsel, particularly as Williams faces charges which could result in life imprisonment.
Noting the merit in the attorney’s arguments, Judge Ernest Morris Jr. agreed to move Williams’s release hearing to Friday, at which point the court expects to be presented with a suitable custodian. Udhwani is expected to represent the defendant at that hearing and then file the motion to be relieved of the case after Friday’s proceedings.
Correction: Dec. 15, 2021 at 7:48 p.m.
A previous version of this story included Attorney Alisha Udhwani as a public defender. While Attorney Udhwani represented Williams during the advisement hearing today, she is an associate at the Law Offices of Douglas L. Capdeville, PC, who represented Williams Wednesday because there was conflict with the Office of the Public Defender. The story has been updated to reflect the correct information.
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