Six Felony Trials Collide: St. Croix Woman's Nightclub Case Pushed to 2027

The Superior Court of the Virgin Islands has postponed jury selection in a nightclub assault case after prosecutors revealed they face an impossible scheduling conflict: six separate felony jury trials all set to begin on the same morning in October 2026.

Renisha Allick-Randolph, 35, was originally scheduled for jury selection on October 13 in connection with an incident outside the Blue Bambou nightclub in the West End, where she is accused of striking another woman with a trophy. The Department of Justice filed an urgent motion explaining the gridlock. "The People cannot proceed with presentation of all the cases," Assistant Attorney General Kippy Roberson told the court.

The six defendants competing for courtroom resources that morning were Marcus Gilbert, Ian Benjamin, Clairmont Sackey, Clement Montero, Niqwani Thompson, and Allick-Randolph. Facing this bottleneck, prosecutors chose to move forward with the oldest case: Clairmont Sackey's prosecution for a machete attack in Estate La Grange in October 2024. Sackey stands accused of using the weapon to sever and disfigure a victim's face, hands, and head. He faces charges of Mayhem, First-Degree Assault, and Weapons Offenses. Court records indicate that plea offers in his case have been revoked, making trial mandatory.

Allick-Randolph carries charges across two separate dockets. Beyond the Blue Bambou incident, she faces First-Degree Attempted Murder, Child Abuse, and Elderly Abuse charges stemming from an allegation that she used her motor vehicle to strike a 67-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman in Estate Whim while her children were in the car.

Prosecutors and defense counsel are currently negotiating what the court filing describes as a comprehensive "Global Plea" to settle both of Allick-Randolph's cases simultaneously. Her defense team, led by attorney Kathryn D. Slade of Lee J. Rohn & Associates since September 11, requested additional time to pursue the negotiations. Judge Venetia H. Velazquez approved the postponement and scheduled a final pre-trial conference for December 29, 2026, with jury selection now set for January 4, 2027. Allick-Randolph has entered not guilty pleas in both matters.