Two Barbadians, who along with two Guyanese and another were charged with being part of a drug ring, an allegation which US authorities later threw out, have lost their bid to have their matters ‘dismissed with prejudice’ (extinguishing any right to pursue a claim in another suit) following the United States Court of Appeals denial of their appeal.
Senior Circuit Judge Harry Thomas Edwards and Circuit Judges Gregory G. Katsas and Cornelia Pillard in the District of Colombia Circuit on April 16, dismissed the appeal filed by the two men to a lower court’s decision not to re-designate the dismissals of their cases. The judges found that their court had no basis to entertain the matter before them.
The men wanted the matters against them to be dismissed ‘with prejudice’ as against ‘without prejudice’, as the latter means that authorities are free to file new charges against them arising out of the same investigation.