Is the <PERSON> Trial an Opportunity for Jamaica? · Global Voices
Jamaican music has always, and continues to capture the imagination of the world, and so have its musicians, especially when they blur the lines between celebrity and outlaw.
One of the most recent dancehall artists to get on the wrong side of the law is <PERSON>, better known as <PERSON>. A big name in the music business, he has collaborated with A-list hip hop musicians like <PERSON>, <PERSON> and <PERSON>. Towards the end of 2006, he made headlines in the region over an ongoing feud with his former collaborator <PERSON>, which led to fans of each side mobilising themselves into two factions – Gaza and Gully – which often culminated in street clashes. Other controversies have followed him – the skin bleaching issue and now several murder charges.
One Jamaican blog, Cucumber Juice, recently examined “the value of the <PERSON> trial”, first taking issue with glaring inconsistencies in the media's reporting of the facts:
There is so much rich detail in the charges that were brought against Mr. <PERSON>. So many moving parts. I am grateful for the page on The Jamaica Gleaner that lists all its articles on Mr. <PERSON>’s charges. Unfortunately I realized a lot of problems with the reporting. After reviewing over 2 years worth of articles I could almost predict the phrasing and wording…there has obviously been too much copying and pasting and not enough editing or (attention to) detail. I saw inconsistent name spellings, inconsistent facts (e.g., Just how much bail was Mr. <PERSON> granted for Charge 2, JM$3 million or JM$1 million?).
After doing the research to come up with the above timeline and to properly refresh my memory about the charges against Mr. <PERSON>…I’m expanding my definition of quality to mean not only the kind of reporting being done on the trials but also how the reporting is presented. The poor quality of the former is amplified by the at least equally poor quality of the latter. It’s sloppy.
She continued, this time addressing the third offence on which the dancehall star is charged:, “the murder of <PERSON> (aka <PERSON>) on August 16, 2011″, which she sees as an opportunity to right some wrongs:
This trial (for Charge 3) has captured the attention of a lot of Jamaicans. 550
A significant portion of…trial watchers are Vybz Kartel fans but others are following the case because, frankly, this is a high-profile landmark case and it’s the first time (that I can remember) a popular person actually going on trial for something and the trial not dragging out over a number of years. Evidence is being presented, the judge is making rulings; it seems that things are moving along.
But more than the unfolding of this case is the characteristic of a large number of people who are following [it]. They are people most likely to encounter Jamaica’s criminal justice system. Too often the average Jamaican’s experience with Jamaica’s criminal justice system is hostile, even deadly. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is viewed with suspicion and contempt. Our courts are viewed as inefficient, burdened, and, I think, unjust. I believe the fancy parlance is that there is a trust deficit. Like him or hate him, Mr. <PERSON>’s alleged misdeeds have provided us with the opportunity to teach and, perhaps, even to address that trust deficit.
I’m wondering why neither the media nor Jamaica’s legal community is grabbing hold of this opportunity.
In particular, she saw clear roles for the Jamaican media and judiciary:
I think that it’s fair to expect Jamaica’s media to be doing more with the coverage of these trial. It’s fair to expect the legal community (which would include the judiciary) to proactively engage the Jamaican public to capitalize on this interest. Use it as an opportunity; you have a captive audience – the average Jamaican – that needs the information. <PERSON> ah ‘dem’ artist but I guarantee you that ‘they’ also identify with him…by calling upon their own experiences: in custody for over 2 years, no bail, charged with an array of things. It’s <PERSON> versus <PERSON>; the underdog versus the big opponent already considered unjust and unfair. Babylon at work, even.
That’s why lawyers are important: to be the interpreter and navigator of that system on his or her client’s behalf. The lawyer knows the system and that the system is meant to represent and protect the society. 600