Embattled Dancehall singjay, Mark Myrie, more popularly known as Buju Banton, may have to wait several months before knowing whether or not he will be a free man.
Last Friday, Buju Banton’s legal team filed an appeal in a Georgia-based appeals court; attempting to overturn the Grammy-winning singer’s 10 year prison sentence on drug-related charges. In said appeal, Buju’s lawyers cited a possible violation by U.S. government officials of the Speedy Trial Act; a Sixth Amendment rightafforded to defendants so that they avoid being subjected to unreasonably lengthy incarceration prior to a fair trial. Additionally, Buju’s legal team detailed reasoning as to why their client was an unwilling part of the drug conspiracy he was later convicted of.
However, fans of the internationally-acclaimed entertainer may have to wait up to a year after Buju Banton’s lead attorney, David Oscar Markus intimated that the appeal process could take up to a year before a verdict is handed down.
“The prosecution will respond within the next 30-60 days and then we will file a reply. The court of appeals will then decide whether to have an oral argument on the case, which it will most likely set sometime in late summer. After that, it generally takes 6-9 months to get a decision. Sometimes even longer,” Markus explained to the Jamaica Observer.
