Vybz Kartel Freed By Jamaica Court of Appeal

News Americas, New York, NY, Weds. July 31, 2024: The Jamaica Court of Appeal this afternoon, July 31, 2024, freed Jamaican dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, after unanimously deciding against ordering a retrial for the 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams.

FLASHBACK – Vybz Kartel in New York City, New York, United States in a past photo. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

The court also freed Kartel’s co-accused, Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St. John. The three-judge panel, consisting of Justices Marva McDonald-Bishop, Paulette Williams, and David Fraser, made the decision.

Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, President of the Court of Appeal, stated that despite the facts showing “barefaced defiance of law and order,” the court considered the lengthy time the men have been in custody and the psychological and health impact on the appellants if a new trial were ordered. Defense lawyers, particularly for Vybz Kartel, cited the artiste’s declining mental and physical health, including his diagnosis of Grave’s Disease.

In 2020, lawyers representing the quartet appealed to the local Court of Appeal, but their convictions were upheld. The appeal was then taken to the United Kingdom-based Privy Council, which overturned their murder convictions on March 14 due to juror misconduct. The Privy Council remitted the case back to the Jamaica Court of Appeal to decide on a retrial, which has now been denied.