Liberia, July 22 -- Former Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bundoo has escalated her legal battle to Liberia's highest court, asking the Supreme Court to immediately halt a Criminal Court "C" ruling that sent her to prison after rejecting her criminal appearance bond and imposing an unprecedented US$8 million bail requirement.

The emergency petition, filed before the Justice in Chambers of the Supreme Court, challenges Tuesday's ruling by Assigned Circuit Judge Ousman F. Feika, arguing that the lower court exceeded its authority, violated statutory procedures, and imposed a bail amount so excessive that it effectively stripped Bundoo of her constitutional right to pretrial release.

The latest development shifts the legal ...