Posted: Wednesday, July 31, 2024. 1:40 pm CST.
By Horace Palacio: Just a day before Jamaica and the Caribbean celebrate Emancipation Day, the Court of Appeal of Jamaica has decided against a retrial for dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel and three other men accused in the 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.
This decision marks the end of a nearly 13-year legal battle that has gripped Jamaica. Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, along with Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Andre St John, and Kahira Jones, were originally convicted in 2014 and sentenced to life in prison. However, their convictions were overturned by the Privy Council in March 2024 due to juror misconduct, leading to the current appeal on whether a retrial should take place.
Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, the newly appointed President of the Court of Appeal, led the panel of judges that delivered the much-anticipated decision. The court’s decision considered several factors, including breaches of the men’s right to a speedy trial, extensive pretrial publicity, and the potential difficulty of finding an impartial jury due to the case’s high profile.
The prosecution, led by Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Claudette Thompson, had passionately advocated for a retrial, arguing that the accused should not evade justice due to technical errors and that safeguards exist within the justice system to ensure a fair trial. However, the defense, led by John Clarke and Isat Buchanan, successfully argued that a retrial would be unjust given the lengthy legal process, the ordeal suffered by the men, including Kartel’s health issues, and the potential for an unfair jury due to pretrial publicity.
While Kartel, Campbell, and St John are now free men, Jones will remain in custody due to a sentence in an unrelated case.
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The post BREAKING: Vybz Kartel walks free: No retrial for dancehall star and co-accused appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Wednesday, July 31, 2024. 1:40 pm CST. By Horace Palacio: Just a day before Jamaica and the Caribbean celebrate Emancipation Day, the Court of Appeal
The post BREAKING: Vybz Kartel walks free: No retrial for dancehall star and co-accused appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.