Embattled reggae superstar Buju Banton, real name Mark Myrie, is not giving up on his fight for freedom.
Just weeks after a federal judge threw out his application for a new trial; Buju Banton has axed his attorney David Markus and moves to seek new representation from Chokwe Lumumba, who is a 40-year-old attorney from Mississippi.
STORY: Judge Rejects Buju Banton Request For New Trial, Face More Prison Time
David Markus confirmed the news yesterday, but declined to say why Buju Banton made the move.
“We are still brothers and I hope for him the very best,” David Markus told the Jamaica Observer. “I have a special place in my heart for Jamaica and its people after this case. The nicest people I ever met came from this case.”
Markus lead Buju Banton legal battle since his arrest in late 2009. The singer’s first trial in September of 2010 ended in a mistrial after a hung jury. However, he was convicted last year February on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Banton’s new legal representative Lumumba, has already started to familiarize himself with the complexity of the singer’s case.
“I gotta see what the witnesses said,” Lumumba told the Gleaner. “I gotta see if there was any evidence that should have been offered that wasn’t offered, if there is any evidence the defence tried to get in and were denied an opportunity to get in, or if there was any evidence that was admitted illegally.”
“From there, we are in a state of appeal, and as far as that is concerned, once the sentencing occurs, technically, we can go right back to the Court of Appeal,” Lumumba added.
Buju Banton will face a judge in November for a sentencing airing after his appeal for a new trial was thrown out. He could face an additional five years behind bars.
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ca fait chier ses un bon ga quelle dommage se qu il lui arrive il a pas que ca a faire de rester enfermer foss.