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Vybz Kartel Trial: Judge Instructions To Jury [Full Transcript]

Vybz Kartel murder trial continues.

There is a tense atmosphere in the Home Circuit court right now as Justice Lennox Campbell continue to instruct the jury on what they should deliberate on.

Vybz Kartel, born Adidja Palmer, along with “Storm” Campbell, Kahira Jones, André St John, and Shane Williams are jointly charged for the murder of their former associate Clive “Lizard” Williams.

PHOTOS: Busta Rhymes Supports Vybz Kartel In Court Today

Today the judge told the 11-member jury that they should not return a guilty verdict base on the lyrical content of Vybz Kartel songs.

Justice Lennox Campbell also asked the jury to first determine if Clive “Lizard” Williams is dead.

Clive Williams body has not been found.

But Justice Lennox Campbell says the jury can determine his death base on circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution. However, if they have doubts that he is dead then they should return a not guilty verdict.

The judge also made mention about the tremendous amount of evidence that suggest that Vybz Kartel was upset that the guns were missing.

At that time Kartel’s lawyer intervene and told the judge, “My Lord with the greatest of respect we have said the voice notes were manipulated.”

The judge responded saying, “Note that Mr. Palmer has not denied that the voice in the voice note is his.”

Justice Lennox Campbell told the jury not to reach their verdict base on an sympathy for the victim’s family or the five accused men. He also said they should not be prejudice base on the involvement of guns.

The judge stress to the jury that they should reach a verdict purely based on the evidence presented to them.

Get the full transcript below and on next pages:

Madam foreman and your members you have heard all the evidence in this case since November. You have heard 24 witnesses for the prosecution and in my estimation four for the defence. We have had frequent adjournments. You have heard 6 closing addresses from Counsel at the bar.

It is now my duty to sum up the evidence to tell you what the law is and assist you in coming to your verdict.

Madam foreman and your members, you will recall at the beginning of these proceedings you all took an oath, some took an affirmation – and remember that is of great significance. It should not be treated lightly.

Madam foreman and your members, you should not let your verdict be affected by extraneous or external circumstances. Recall the trial was widely covered by the media. I cannot assume that you all were insulated from all the coverage but recall your oath and remember that because of that oath you cannot take into consideration external matters.

A great Roman jurist once said, “justice is a great and constant purpose that should give each and every man his due.” I urge upon you Madam Foreman and your members that you should be devoted to doing justice according to law, nothing else.

The accused are before this Court charged on an indictment for one count. They are charged as Adidja Palmer, Calvin ..o he’s no longer here, Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones, Shane Williams, and Aundre St. John ..accused of murder. They are accused of murdering Clive Williams.

Let me just put in a nutshell, the two cases.

The prosecution’s case is that two guns, or as they call it shoes, were given to Llamar Chow and Clive Williams to hide or to lock. The prosecution have led evidence suggesting that Palmer instituted a deadline for the return of the guns that had gone missing. On the 16th of August, Shawn Campbell pressured Clive Williams and Chow to the registered home of Palmer. The other accused men were at home when Chow and Williams arrived. Williams was attacked, Chow ran and when he returned he saw Williams’ lifeless body. Chow fled the yard but was pursued by Palmer. Palmer re-assured Chow that he had nothing to worry about. Chow then followed Palmer to the hospital. Chow was invited to follow Palmer to Guyana in order to avoid questioning by law enforcement. An odour smelling like a dead animal was subsequently detected at Mr. Palmer’s Havendale home.

No one has seen or heard from Clive Lizard Williams since the day he was seen by Chow lying motionless on his back. The Prosecution says there is strong electronic evidence pointing to the guilt of the accused.

That is the prosecutions case.

The defence are saying that the men are not guilty of murdering Williams if in fact he’s dead. In fact there is a letter from Chow saying Williams was seen alive after August 16, 2010. That Williams never went to Palmer’s home but in fact departed the motor vehicle at a hotel in Havendale. That mobile data produced by the prosecution placed the accused at a separate location when the crime was said to have taken place.

They, the defence, have alleged a conspiracy on the part of the Police to implicate Palmer. They have alleged that Palmer’s case was prejudiced by the National Security Minister who blamed him for crimes in Jamaica. The defence have said Chow was part of a concoction.

The main issue for you jurors is to determine if Clive Lizard Williams is dead. If the answer is he is not or you are not sure then that’s the end of the matter you must acquit, because the prosecution have not been able to find a central piece of the indictment. Because in most of the cases before the Courts the prosecution are required to state a cause of death and lead evidence detailing a body being put into the earth. That has not been done by the prosecution. No evidence has been led stating that the dead body of Williams was seen.

However as you may be aware not all cases is it possible to bring such evidence. The fact of death may be proved by what is called circumstantial evidence. That is madam foreman and your members evidence that leads to one conclusion and one only. And before you can draw a conclusion that Clive Lizard Williams is dead all the evidence provided by the prosecution must lead to one conclusion – that Clive Williams is dead.

In the absence of a body death can be proved by circumstantial evidence that renders the conclusion of death. The evidence must be so cogent and compelling and above reasonable doubt that it leads to the conclusion that Lizard Williams is dead. If you have any doubt about him being dead, then you must acquit.

Recall there is a letter that an expert said was written by Mr. Llamar Chow. We are going to be looking very closely at that. Recall that the evidence states that the author of that letter said Williams was seen alive after August 16, 2010. Note that the prosecution are saying Clive Williams died a year after that.

If you are sure Williams is dead, you must then be sure that the evidence points in one direction – that the accused men killed Clive Williams. And I tell you madam foreman and your members, in a matter such as this persons may play different parts in an alleged murder but if they are found to have been part of one common purpose, that is to kill, they should be held accountable for the murder.

When you hear about a Common Design, there needs be no formality. Such a plan may be inferred, it could be spur of the moment that can constitute a plan, no official agreement is necessary. To find all guilty you have to be convinced that all played some party, whether large or small, in a plan which had one intent, to kill.

I must tell you Madam foreman and your members you and I are Judges who try this case. I should tell you we have slightly separate functions though and we should not usurp and take over each others functions. It is my duty to interpret the law. You cannot say ‘bwoi my fren di lawyer seems like him know di law better than this Judge’. I am considered supreme regarding interpretation of the law here and you must take that interpretation from me.

In the same way I am supreme regarding the law, you are considered supreme considering the facts. If you think I wrongly stated the facts according to what you hear, I think it is Miss Harris who said you can toss it aside (* Judge Campbell has a wry grin hee*) ..she is correct, if I incorrectly stated the facts you can toss it aside.

You have seen the witnesses, you have heard them, you have observed them, it is for you madam foreman and your members to make up your minds regarding what you make of them, whether they spoke the truth. However you are not entitled to abandon the evidence and come up with a theory and make up a theory not based on the evidence and make a decision in that regard. Your supremacy concerning the facts, does not entitle you to make up a theory. You are bound by the evidence alone, you must not allow yourself to be taken unto a path of speculation.

Look at the evidence, look to the evidence alone, not some speculation, not some conjecture. The evidence must be your yardstick by which you Judge this case. You must analyze the witnesses and by witnesses I mean those called by the prosecution and defence. You madam foreman and your members must not allow sympathy to determine your verdict. You must approach the evidence calmly and dispassionately. You cannot have sympathy for Williams or the accused and to ground your verdict on that basis. That would be improper.

You live in a society that is violent from Negril point to Morant Point. And because these men are charged with a violent crime you cannot use the fact of the society we exist in against them. You cannot use the fact that guns are mentioned in this case to prejudice this case and be the basis where you formulate your verdict. I cannot implore you more strongly to not allow feelings of sympathy to influence your verdict. There is no basis in law for a verdict to be influenced by sympathy.

In this case you heard mention of the tragic death of a girlfriend, of a child that needs taking case of, you may recall the tears of Mr. Clive Williams’ sister. Do not let that influence you. You heard mention of guns being given for being locked. Do not use that to arrive at a verdict. Their morals are not on trial. You are not to use that as a basis to determine that the accused are responsible for crime in Jamaica. You must look at the totality of the evidence related to – were they responsible for taking Clive Lizard Williams’ life.

You are entitled madam foreman and your members to take into consideration the demeanor of the witnesses. You may bear in mind how they acted. Particularly under cross examination. You may take into account the relationship between witnesses and their intelligence. In regard to this using common sense and your knowledge of Jamaicans you will eventually be required to come to a finding whether you regard the witnesses as witnesses of truth.

Madam foreman and your members you are well equipped to come to a verdict. You don’t need to be dressed up in a lawyers garb. Don’t say because you are acting as judges here you are to discard your common sense. That’s the most important ingredient here.

I must remind you of two principles in law.

Firstly, being an accused man is innocent until prove guilty and it is the responsibility of the prosecution to prove guilt. An accused man does not have to prove his evidence.

On the prosecution’s case madam foreman and your members – there was a common design. They have outlined using voice notes and messages that Mr. Adidja Palmer was upset because two of his guns had gone missing. You heard a voicenote saying – ‘him an him mumma ago dead’ (Judge Campbell mimicks voicenotes).

Secondly, the prosecution are saying that Shawn Campbell knew what would transpire by virtue of a text message he sent saying people ago dead. Recall that Campbell on the prosecution’s case had persuaded Mr. Chow and Mr. Williams to Kartel’s home.

Recall Mr. Chow’s evidence that when they, he and Lizard arrived at Kartel’s home. ( *JPS cuts power supply here ..mic stops working ..Judge Campbell continues as if nothing happened* ) Recall Madam foreman and your members that Mr. Chow said he saw a girl at Kartel’s home on August 16, 2011. I suppose he’s a celebrity of sort, so people will always be following him.

If you accept Chow’s evidence – Lizard was not sick last he saw him on August 14, 2011. He went in on his own speed to Kartel’s home and if you accept what Chow said – he was later seen motionless, lying on his back. The Prosecution are relying on testimony from Chow that St. John was seen with a block and Jones had grabbed Lizard from behind.

The next item the prosecution is relying on is the video. The video that Superintendent Thompson (Judge Campbell emphasizes the H) said was the House he visited where he felt a foul odour.

The prosecution are also relying on a message which they have alleged was sent by Mr. Palmer stating that dem cyaa find Lizard. Recall that there was an urgency in messages it was said was sent by Mr. Palmer regarding guns, that urgency according to the evidence led up to the 16th of August 2011. The prosecution r relying on evidence that that urgency disappeared after the 16th. Recall also that Mr. Williams’ sister has testified that they were close but she has not seen or heard from him since that date and they were in no malice.

56 Comments

  1. Marcia Stoneheart

    Assholes as ninja man say “stop watching gangster movies and watch Law and Order!” The evidence proved those cunts killed the boy so jail them a Fi go

  2. 25 to life it done…..

  3. I tell you. People really need to know who Jesus is and really read your bible. I hear people saying that he is going to hell because he bleach his skin….smh. You going to hell for blasphemy. It is no where in the bible that bleaching is a sin….no where! People….our God is a forgiving God he even forgives fools and babies. I am not going to be bias in the situation. Yes Mi love and rate Kartel, but if he did it only God knows why and only God can judge. If he didn’t
    do it, set him free…simple.

  4. Love and hate can never be friends, oh no, oh no, oh noo! here I come with love and hatred…. D. Brown

  5. Sounds like a bunch of goat farmers talking like they know the law you fools well see the man will walk free, jamaica men are sick that kartel a take them gal and just sit and talk hate all of you low life fools should read a book and stop talk and stay out of big man business

  6. Cartel gone a prison now..and its all because of circumstantial evidence.. Bumbo clawt. Dah judgeyah noh ready fi di courtroom..or maybe them pay him. Fi send cartel a prison..BRC star.!kmt

  7. Lock up daddy fast 25 years him ago get bawl like a big pu$$y gyal talking abt he his going to give his life to god dwl too late god nuh like bleacher him too dunce hopefully by next week we hear the guilty verdict

  8. seems like the judge wants kartel free to me, gaza govern di globe

    • The judge has a job to do to feed his kids but obviously he knows what’s going on,the whole police institution should be disbanded totally from human existence.World over the Police are the main cause of human suffering.

  9. all unnu gaza fans unnu fu– up no bloodc–th where is the clive williams where is the body unnu baias no fu– him fi go a bloodc–th prison him and him friend dem wicked and GOD na sleep and the verdict read GULITY of first degree murder of clive williams and he’s sentence to life at VERY VERY VERY hard labour what if a did unnu family him kill dats y jamaica will never better

    • GULITY……really….learn how to spell before you go talking foolish….. NOT GUILTY

      • Guh suck yr muma as long as you get the point lock up daddy devil guilty verdic the bleacher his guilty suh him can stp his bawling and bs abt if him get out him ago give his life to god oh plz jus give him the guilty verdict and done gaza slim need some jail time aswel becuz she tell the police say lizard Rob here lol that’s obstructing law she mus buss a Lisa move on Bigga ford or one dem tap ranking police fi dem trow out d case

  10. No hard evidence.. GL Bossman Kartel. No body.. no murder weapon.. Even if Clive was seen motionless no proof he was dead no proof anyone killed him. Something went down says a witness who supposively wrote a note saying hes being forced to testify.. Then you move to electronic voice notes to try and seek an answer but everything has been tampered with so you cannot take it serious to the point where you can point at a man and say you murdered him. You cant do this. How are they going to be found guilty?? Kartel will be free.

    The evidence needs to be pretty pretty like a convertible, interior comfortable.

    But.. the evidence smells like a foul odour.

  11. Kartel didn’t say the voice on the voice note is not his. Him implicate himself. Him guilty send him a prison fi life.

    • “Kartel enemy”..lmao..ahhhhhh…how this guy ended up in this predicament I am still puzzled…..

    • kartel neither denied or confirmed, but the transcript also mentioned that an innocent man does not need to prove his innocence, it is the prosecutions responsibility to prove guilt, therefore it is not necessary for kartel to either deny or confirm his voice. the prosecution must make that case. The prosecution has done a great job of showing their incompetence thus far, but I am anxious to see how this matter will end, cant wait to see where this goes.

      • You took the words from my mouth you genius

      • “This me” in the legal community we call what you have just described (neither denying or confirming evidence) a silent admission. Courts within common law jurisdictions have routinely treated silent admissions as evidence of guilt. Furthermore, while the defence team does not have to prove innocence, it can often times be considered professional negligence for a lawyer not to lead exculpatory evidence (tending to show innocence), to counteract prejudicial information put forward by the Crown. The real reason this defendant was not put on the stand to try and deny the evidence of his voicenotes is to guard against perjury and the possibility of clever cross-examination.

  12. Cant wait to see how this play out…

  13. The judge also made mention about the tremendous amount of evidence that suggest that Vybz Kartel was upsets the guns were missing.

    At that time Kartel’s lawyer intervene and told the judge, “My Lord with the greatest of respect we have said the voice notes were manipulated.”

    The judge responded saying, “Note that Mr. Palmer has not denied that the voice in the voicenote is his.

    WELL THIS SAYS IT ALL! IF THIS FOOL GET SENT TO PRISON FOR LIFE IT WAS HIS OWN FAULT! SMH! LET”S AWAIT THE VERDICT….

    • Be quite dude and look and see what the judge is doing.

      • Judge talking the right way..maybe you need to be quiet..maybe you should look again and see how unbiased the judge is…smh

      • Lol…if you look at the way this judge is formulating and leading the poor jury making an emotional appeal, yet trying to make it look unbiased. Sorry, that’s similar to my job and what I do. I praise the defence and use the praises I give to rip them apart because Ofcourse a man speaking so unbiased ought to be believed. That’s what Lennox doing

    • so if kartel blatantly lied in court and said the voice wasn’t his when in fact everybody and dem mumma know kartel voice, how would that have helped his case? perjury does not help an accused individual in his battle towards freedom. it was best that he remained silent than to lie about it when everyone in the courtroom can identify kartels voice. the important thing is that kartel denied murdering lizard and has proclaimed his innocence, eff a voicenote.

    • Yes my lord real talk 100

  14. kartel should be free just now and you fools that talk hate will still moves your heads to the man music this was a set up the police killed the man,how could anyone believe he is guilty with no body to murder weapon, this is why we laugh there is so much fools in jamaica that need to read a law book and stop leaving stupid comments, leave this page for the smart people and think with reason…

    • It’s in his best interest to start shed tears now, because he will be doing that for the rest of his life.

    • king fury is not smart

      and y r u doin on dis page your not smart u r a gaza fan that is still in denial OCCH DWL DWL DWL DWL

      • Lol you got that right.DWFL

      • A this sh– start device Jamaicans, see what it lead to, not only Martel, but all artist with them gun an gun man friend must respect people lives

    • Yow. Not because you don’t read a law book, that’s doesn’t mean you’re a fool..so I would advise you to reeducate yourself before you disrespect my people. Cartel made his bed and he should lay in it..for a so called intellectual guy look like him, he should’ve known better. I understanyou’re furious,but a soh it goh.

      • I think you should tell the judge to read a law book. Because him a goh sentence the man bast pon circumstantial evidence.

      • Sounds like a bunch of goat farmers talking like they know the law you fools well see the man will walk free, jamaica men are sick that kartel a take them gal and just sit and talk hate all of you low life fools should read a book and stop talk and stay out of big man business…

    • Rightly said @ King Fury…it could hv been the police that killed him too. The judge couldn’t be any fairer n clearer in his summation and based on wat he said it is only fair he is freed. The prosecution is yet to find Lizard body or the murder weapon and the circumstantial evidence is not enough to acquit Kartel n the accused. This case was tampered with too much n in such a case a not guilty verdict shud b passed. Some of yall basing this on personal feelings. Read what the judge said in full, read to understand n then if anyone has sense enough without being bias theyd come to a verdict only fair…

      • Well they’re working from the evidences they has, no evidences show that that police them could be the killers.

    • If he had kill your family you would not talk so, a people like you why crimes are so high with you all bul sh–

  15. a soh yuh know jamaica justice system nuh have nuh sense, even if the the voice note is kartel from it has been manipulated it cant be used as evidence (not in the us, cad or eng anyway). mi can tell seh deh judge yah wah him goh prison lol.

    • The judge is behind it

    • The lawyer thinks it’s manipulated but obviously that’s his opinion and not facts. If it was a proven fact that the voice notes were indeed a galipulation then they would’ve been dismissed and not be used as evidence

    • Oh shut the fu– abt Jamaica system fool fool boy or dutty gyal aboard police can kill you on camera infornt of people lot off evidence supporting yr case wen u think u going to get some justice you wrong the judge trow out yr case and give u the run around worst if u black suh the syteam mess up nt only one place

    • If you know the case you would not say so, a dirty mind people like you all why Jamaica mash up, if him guilty him fi do life for the life him take

      • and i agree with you, IF he is guilty he should do the time, IF not then set him free. in this case however there is a lot of doubts so i don’t know.

  16. Unuh really aguh setance di man pon circumstantial evidence????….smh

    • Come do the time for him, killing people is wrong, too much crimes

      • If you know seh killing people is wrong, then I would have to assume that you would agree with me that, those who kill should be punished right?