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By Lincoln G. Peters
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia, September 18, 2026: Lawyers representing former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor have asked Criminal Court “C” to admit their client to bail, seeking to lift the home detention and travel restrictions imposed as conditions of her temporary release on medical grounds.
In a motion filed Thursday, September 17, Taylor’s lawyers asked presiding Judge Ousman F. Feika to release her either on personal recognizance or under a bond guaranteeing her appearance as the criminal proceedings continue.
The defense argues that Taylor is entitled to bail and wants the court to determine whether the law applicable to the alleged offenses legally bars her from being released on bail.
Her lawyers are also challenging the prosecution’s reliance on the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of 2023, contending that some of the conduct attributed to Taylor allegedly occurred in 2021 and 2022, before the law came into force.
According to the defense, applying provisions of the 2023 law to conduct allegedly committed before its enactment raises questions about the statute’s retroactive application and whether its restrictions on bail can legally apply to Taylor.
The motion marks the latest legal effort by Taylor’s defense team to secure broader freedom for the former vice president after Judge Feika earlier granted her compassionate release from pre-trial detention on medical grounds.
Under that ruling, Taylor was released from the Monrovia Central Prison but placed under home detention and travel restrictions. She was also ordered to surrender her travel documents while the criminal proceedings remain pending.
The court stressed that the compassionate medical release did not amount to an acquittal, dismissal, pardon, immunity or termination of the criminal case against her.
Taylor’s lawyers are now seeking to replace those restrictions with formal bail conditions, arguing that her appearance before the court can be secured through personal recognizance or an appropriate bond.
At the center of the dispute is the prosecution’s position that the drug-related charges against Taylor are non-bailable under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of 2023.
The defense rejects that interpretation as it relates to the alleged conduct predating the law, maintaining that the 2023 statute cannot be retroactively applied to deny Taylor bail for acts allegedly committed before its enactment.
Taylor remains accused in an ongoing drug-related criminal case. The charges against her are allegations, and she has not been convicted of any of the offenses.
