Gleaner file photo of Vybz Kartel and Shawn Campbell leaving court in 2014.
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Attorneys Valerie Neita Robertson and Bianca Samuels
One of the attorneys representing incarcerated entertainer Vybz Kartel on Tuesday argued that the trial judge erred several times in his summary of the case to the jury and denied his client a fair trial.
Attorney Valerie Neita Robertson said the judge misdirected himself in his summation.
She made the arguments at the second day of the hearing of the entertainer's appeal.
Mrs Neita Robertson said the presiding judge was more focused on expediency of the case which led to deficiencies in his summation.
She highlighted he made unjustified, unreasonable and improper judicial comments, and at times, misquoted the evidence, all of which were detrimental to any possibility of a fair trial.
She added that the judge also erred in his treatment of the unsworn statement of the entertainer.
Mrs Neita Robertson asserted that the majority of the comments made by the trial judge was in favour of the prosecution.
Meanwhile, attorneys representing entertainer Shawn Campbell, otherwise called Shawn Storm, on Tuesday highlighted several evidential deficiencies presented by the prosecution in the case to convict the men of murder.
The attorneys argued that the Appeal Court judges should not order a retrial due to these deficiencies.
Bianca Samuels, one of the attorneys, said a new trial would give the prosecution an attempt to cure the deficiencies identified.
Among the deficiencies highlighted were the inconsistencies in the times given by the main witness in the case.
Vybz Kartel is appealing the life sentence imposed on him in 2014 for the murder of Clive "Lizard" Williams on August 16, 2011.
Shawn Campbell, Andre St. John and Kahira Jones were also convicted for the murder.
Attorneys will continue submissions on Wednesday.
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