KINGSTON, Jamaica— Attorney John Clarke argued on Friday that pursuing a retrial of the Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams murder case would be a waste of scarce taxpayers’ money when there are hundreds of Jamaicans and other victims waiting their turn to have their matters heard in court.

Clarke, who represents Kahira Jones, one of the accused men whose case is being argued in the Vybz Kartel retrial hearing currently before the Court of Appeal, said that adding this retrial to the over 700 cases awaiting trial in the Home Circuit Court would be a disservice to those whose cases would be pushed back to facilitate this matter.

“We are saying that retrials essentially should not be committed, as we have said it in open court and you have heard, on the basis that time has expired so long. The men have been in custody for 13 years and we want the court to consider that factor and the special circumstances of this case including the ordeal that the men have suffered and also the more than 774 Jamaicans who are before the Home Circuit awaiting their day in court and who may have their matters pushed back just to facilitate this matter,” Clarke argued.

He was speaking to reporters on Friday after the conclusion of the fifth day in the scheduled five-day hearing in the appeal matter involving incarcerated dancehall star Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, and his other murder co-accused, fellow deejay Shawn “Shawn Storm” Campbell and Andre St John.

The defence attorney went on to argue how fair it would be to have taxpayers fund this one matter, which has already proven to be expensive and complicated, when there are a number of other things that the scare state resources could be used for.

“Ultimately I remember reading and hearing stories of what happened in this country whereby because the State doesn’t have enough money for ventilation you have babies who are dying and when you recall the amount of Jamaicans who are still waiting for the day to have their trials and the trial can’t continue because of scarce resources in relation to courtrooms etc. and I want to recall the calls the Court of Appeal has been making for years for resources to ensure that they can hear matters in a timely manner…” Clarke outlined.

“We say it’s not fair for those persons some of whom are in custody to have their matter pushed back and that sometimes, especially bearing in mind how complex this matter was and how expensive it would be for the taxpayers that it is not fair that we, having considered all the factors, engage scarce state resources to deal with a situation like this bearing in mind that it is the taxpayers who ultimately pay for everything,” he continued.

Vybz Kartel and his co-accused were convicted of the September 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.

Lawyers representing the quartet made an appeal to the local Court of Appeal in 2020 but their convictions were upheld.

The accused appeal was then taken to the United Kingdom-based Privy Council and on March 14, 2024, had their murder convictions overturned on the grounds of juror misconduct.

The Privy Council had also remitted the case back to the Jamaica Court of Appeal to decide whether or not there should be a retrial.

The retrial hearing began on Monday and has been extended to next Tuesday.