Dancehall star Vybz Kartel is finally free
Vybz Kartel and co-accused are free after the Court of Appeal ruled against a retrial for their 2014 murder convictions.
Their freedom comes a day before Jamaica’s Emancipation Day, concluding a nearly 13-year legal battle marked by trials, convictions, and a successful appeal due to juror misconduct.
Dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel is free. The World Boss cum Gaza Boss was today released from the dungeon after the council found that there was misdoings in the jury that served him his sentence 13 years ago. The Jamaican dancehall icon famous for hit songs like Summer Time, One Man, Fever, and Clarks Again. He was arrested and convicted of murdering Clive Williams 13 years ago. The Court of Appeal just declared that he and three co-accused should not face retrial for murder. Freedom comes a day before Jamaica celebrates Emancipation Day, and it marks the end of an almost 13-year journey for Kartel, Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Andre St John, and Kahira Jones, which included arrests, trials, convictions, and a successful appeal.
Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, the new President of the Court of Appeal, gave the much-anticipated decision. She presided over a panel of three judges, including Justices Paulette Williams and David Fraser. The guys were prosecuted in September 2011 and convicted in March 2014 for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams. Vybz Kartel and company were sentenced to life in prison in April of 2014. Following an unsuccessful challenge to the conviction in the Jamaican Court of Appeal, they petitioned the Privy Council, Jamaica’s highest court.
In March 2024, the Privy Council on Vybz Kartel’s case overturned their convictions due to juror misconduct, but referred the case to the Court of Appeal to examine if a retrial was warranted. The Supreme Court ruled that the trial judge should have removed a tainted jury, Livingston Cain, who was later found guilty of accepting a bribe to influence other jurors in the case. The Court of Appeal convened six days of oral arguments on the retrial question beginning June 10.
Finally World Boss is free!!
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