LEGAL luminary Bert Samuels says the bench warrant issued for Popcaan’s arrest for his non-appearance in the Yallahs Traffic Court in St Thomas, yesterday, is normal operational procedure.

According to the high-profile attorney-at-law, the dancehall deejay returned from England on Wednesday and had to observe the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

“He returned to the island yesterday (Wednesday) and he’s in quarantine,” Samuels told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday.

“The normal and usual process is that his attorney goes to court and explain the circumstances for his absence. The court then says: ‘No problem.’ But issues a bench warrant, which the court must do, but in will be stayed. And in this instance, it will be stayed until 4th of November. Nothing will be done, so it’s a normal process… so this is what is expected to be done,” he continued.

Samuels said, however, if the entertainer misses the November 4 court appearance, it would be cause for concern.

Popcaan, whose given name is Andre Sutherland, was charged with multiple traffic violations in April of this year.

According to police reports, the dancehall deejay was stopped while travelling with a convoy in a section of Bath, St Thomas. He was subsequently charged with: driving an unlicensed motorcycle; driving without insurance coverage; having no valid certificate of fitness; having no registration plate affixed; driving without a helmet; and, driving with no side-view mirror. He was also unable to present a driver’s licence.

He is being represented by Matthew Hyatt.

Popcaan came to national attention in 2010 when he teamed up with his mentor Vybz Kartel on the number one song Clarks.

His subsequent hits include Ravin, Unruly Rave, Only Man She Want (which entered the Billboard R&B Hip Hop songs chart), Party Shot, and Dream.

He is also the conceptualiser of Unruly Fest, a one-night stage show held at the Goodyear Oval in St Thomas. It was held in 2018 and 2019, and featured international acts including Canadian rapper Drake and American singer Tory Lanez as well as local favourites including Sanchez, Capleton, Bounty Killer, and Beenie Man.