Ex-Haitian Judge Admits Backdated Warrant in Miami Deposition

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In a deposition in a Miami federal court, a former Haitian judge named Jean Roger Noelcius admitted that he signed an illegal, backdated arrest warrant accusing Haitian President Jovenel Moïse of plotting an assassination. Noelcius testified that he had no authority to remove a sitting head of state and that the whole episode effectively destroyed his judicial career.

Why it matters

This revelation adds fresh uncertainty to the international investigation into the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, which has already involved extraditions, guilty pleas, and hard-fought courtroom battles centered in South Florida. Procedural irregularities in arrest or search warrants can have serious consequences in U.S. courts, potentially barring evidence and giving defense teams ammunition to fight the government's case.

The details

Noelcius testified that he signed a warrant he now calls invalid, backdated to Feb. 18, 2019. He acknowledged crossing into the Dominican Republic on Feb. 11, 2021, and later arriving in Canada on Feb. 28, 2021. U.S. prosecutors are still pressing ahead with cases connected to Moïse's assassination and sorting through thousands of pages of discovery and recorded interviews.

• On February 18, 2019, Noelcius signed the illegal, backdated arrest warrant.
• On February 11, 2021, Noelcius crossed into the Dominican Republic.
• On February 28, 2021, Noelcius arrived in Canada.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Federal prosecutors in Miami are still pressing ahead with cases connected to the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and sorting through thousands of pages of discovery and recorded interviews.