"The suggestion that [Veronica Campbell-Brown] was cleared on some technicality is simply not true. She was cleared because no anti-doping violation was proven and the reason none was proven was because she didn't do anything wrong, period, end of story," said attorney Howard Jacobs during a press conference yesterday at The Jamaica Pegasus. "It's not a technicality, it's a fundamental point," [Jacob] noted. "The question remained, what happened to the third sample?" "My inability to defend my 200m title was a huge loss. In fact, just being unable to compete was financially and emotionally devastating. This ordeal cost me in excess of 90 per cent of my possible earnings. The ripple effect affected my charities, most notably my foundation and my contribution towards my alma mater and others," said Campbell-Brown. "I now have a renewed appreciation for my talent and relationships within the sport that are important to me."
The search is now on to find a new public defender as the current holder of the office, Earl Witter, is to demit office in about two months. Witter was sworn into office on September 13, 2006, as Jamaica's second public defender. Witter is, to date, the only member of the outer bar (body of junior barristers) to have been appointed ombudsman or public defender.
