JAMAICAN SUPERSTAR BUJU'S RETRIAL SET FOR DECEMBER

Jamaican reggae artiste Buju Banton born Mark Myrie, is to face a retrial on drug charges in Florida in December.

Judge Tim Moody made the ruling this afternoon, hours after the 12-memeber jury which was hearing the case ended their third day of deliberation saying they could not reach a verdict.

The judge then declared a mistrial.

The judge is to decide tomorrow whether Buju is to be granted bail.

This morning, the foreman of the twelve-member jury indicated that jurors were split on whether to convict or free Buju on drug charges.

The foreman had sent a note to US District Judge James Moody.

Under US law all the members of the jury must be in agreement for a verdict to be reached in a drug trial.

However, this morning the jury foreman reported that six jurors had found the Jamaican reggae star guilty with the other six saying he was not guilty.

Judge Moody then instructed the jurors to continue their deliberations telling them to take as much time as they wanted.

The judge also said none of the jurors should surrender their conscience decision.

However, the jurors later returned to the judge still without a consensus.

The judge then declared a mistrial and ordered that the matter be set for re-trail sometime in December.

Come tomorrow, the judge is to hear a bail application filed by Buju’s lawyer David Markus.

Buju has been held in jail since December last year when he was arrested on drug and firearm charges.

SOURCE: go-jamaica.com