Retrial Hearing For Dancehall Artist Vybz Kartel Set for June 10
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Court of Appeals on Friday said that it would begin hearing arguments on June 10 to determine whether to order a retrial for dancehall arstiste Vybz Kartel and his co-accused in the murder case of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.
Vybz KartelThe decision was handed down on Friday by Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop with stipulations, stating that the hearing will be held for five days; the appellants will be required to file and serve skeleton submissions with authorities on or before May 6 and the respondent is to file and serve skeleton arguments with authorities on or before May 31.
In addition, the appellants’ skeleton arguments must be accompanied by a written chronology of events relevant to the appeal and cross-referenced to the record or transcript. The appellants are also required to agree and file one joint chronology of events and four copies of the parties’ skeleton arguments and chronology must be filed for the use of the court.
The hearing is being held as in February, the UK-based Privy Council ordered that the convictions of Kartel, whose real name Adidja Palmer, fellow entertainer Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John, be overturned based on the arguments presented in February.
The Privy Court, in their ruling also remitted the decision to the Jamaica Court of Appeals on whether to order a retrial of the appellants.
In response to the appeal court’s decision, Campbell’s attorney, Bert Samuels, says he is encouraged by the fact that the hearing has been scheduled weeks after the Privy Council’s ruling.
“It’s a very swift move by the court and we feel that this matter is of such great public importance that the sooner the Court of Appeal sits and determines whether there should be a retrial, the better,” he said
In April 2014, Kartel was sentenced to life in prison with the eligibility of parole after serving 35 years of his sentence.
His co-accused were also handed life sentences – with Shawn Storm and Jones being eligible for parole after serving 25 years, and St John being eligible after serving 15 years.
