The Court of Appeal of Jamaica has ruled against granting a retrial for dancehall artist Vybz Kartel and three other individuals accused of the 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.
This marks the end of a long legal battle in Jamaica. Vybz Kartel and three others were originally convicted in 2014 for a murder but their convictions were overturned due to juror misconduct in March 2024. Now, there is a debate on whether they should face a retrial.
Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, the newly appointed President of the Court of Appeal, led the panel of judges that delivered the highly anticipated decision. The court’s ruling took into account several factors, including violations of the men’s right to a speedy trial, extensive pretrial publicity, and the potential challenge of finding an impartial jury due to the case’s high profile.
The prosecution, led by Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Claudette Thompson, argued passionately for a retrial, stating 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 Isa Buchanan, successfully argued that a retrial would be unjust given the lengthy legal process, the ordeal endured 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.