(Jamaica Gleaner) Attorneys for Vybz Kartel and his fellow murder accused are expected to seek bail while the Court of Appeal decides if they should face a retrial.
Yesterday morning, the United Kingdom-based Privy Council upheld their appeal against their convictions and ordered that the Court of Appeal should consider the matter.
Kartel, entertainer Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John were convicted in 2014 for killing Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams in 2011.
They have denied any involvement in the killing.
Campbell was the chief appellant.
His attorney, Bert Samuels, said he will be seeking to get instructions from his client on the next step.
While noting that his role was to handle the Privy Council appeal and that his work is done, Samuels said the likely move is that bail would now be sought for Campbell.
“He now has the right to apply for bail because he is now awaiting the decision of the court whether he should move to trial or not. So no doubt when they lawyer up, we will be going knocking on the door because the first move is to try and obtain bail pending the hearing whether there should be a retrial or not,” Samuels said at a press conference after the verdict was handed down.
“The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has unanimously concluded that the appeals should be allowed and the appellants convictions should be quashed on the grounds of juror misconduct and that the case should be remitted to the Court of Appeal to decide whether to order a retrial of the appellants,” said Lord David Lloyd-Jones, one of five law lords who heard the appeal.
Samuels said the accused men are no longer convicts as their convictions have been set aside by the Privy Council.
Samuels, Isat Buchanan and Bianca Samuels are part of the local team of defence appeal attorneys for Campbell.
