In the latest Vybz Kartel news, the unjustly incarcerated deejay will be back in a Jamaican court room for his retrial hearing, according to reports reaching Jamaica Weekly.
Vybz Kartel News
In the case of Vybz Kartel, the Jamaican Court of Appeal has set a June 16th date his attorneys to representing him and his co-accused Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St. John and the prosecution on the matter of a retrial for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams or have the case thrown out.
Adidja Palmer, more popularly known as Vybz Kartel and his co-accused were successful in their appeal to the Privy Council last month, the notion was that they did not receive a fair trial and as such the case either be thrown out or a fair retrial given. The Privy Council had ordered that the case be appointed to the Jamaican Court of Appeal to have the final say as to whether the men were to be retried or be set free.
Vybz Kartel and his co-accused have been behind bars for 13 years, from when they were picked up by police back in 2011. Jamaica weekly understands that, since being behind bars for the lengthy period, The ‘Romping Shop’ hit maker has experienced a decline in his health, which has prompt concerns among fans world wide.
On Friday, Court of Appeal Judge Marva McDonald Bishop handed down the order that the defense and prosecution will present arguments on June 10, 2024, as to whether a retrial will take place.
Defense lawyers representing the defendants are to file submissions on May 6, while the Crown has a May 31 deadline to respond. Whether or not a retrial should take place has been a hot topic in the public domain.
A month ago, Chief Prosecutor Paula Llewellyn indicated that her office would ask for a retrial in the interest of justice, as it would send the wrong message to society.
“We would be obliged to, given the strength of the case for the prosecution that was put up and given the authority and the case law… when you have knowledge of the state of the law in any particular area, for example, retrials, the prosecutors are obliged to go on that particular path,” she said in an interview.
Vybz Kartel, who had reacted to the March 14 judgement by the Privy Council, said he was vindicated and that he faced a “grave injustice” along with his co-accused. He was also adamant that a retrial shouldn’t be ordered given the Privy Council’s ruling.
During arguments before the Privy Council, the attorney for the defendants, King’s Counsel Hugh Southey, argued that a fair retrial was impossible due to the passage of time.
“Retrial, one thing that I wish to highlight about that. My learned friend’s submissions yesterday about why the judge was entitled to adopt the approach he did correctly and fairly pointed to the potential difficulties of a retrial in light of matters such as a profile. Those difficulties have not diminished; they’ve become greater because of the passage of time…there is no point remitting it at this point because a fair trial is now very difficult or impossible,” Southey said.
Watch Vybz Kartel’s latest music Video below.
