Attorneys make divergent closings in trial of Haitian mayor

By MARK PRATT
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — An attorney for three Haitian men who claim in a U.S. lawsuit that the former mayor of their small hometown subjected his political opponents to violence and terror called the defendant “a small, petty tyrant” during closing arguments. But an attorney for the defendant said Monday in U.S. District Court in Boston that the testimony of witnesses in the case was full of holes and the plaintiffs were motivated by money when they brought the case. The case against Jean Morose Viliena, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. who now lives in Massachusetts, shed light on the broader issue of political violence in Haiti and its weak judicial system.