Feds won't file contempt charge against juror in Jamaican reggae singer's drug trial

TAMPA, Florida
Federal prosecutors in Tampa won't file a criminal contempt charge against a juror in Jamaican reggae singer Buju Banton's 2011 drug trafficking trial.

U.S. District Judge James Moody said in June that jury foreman Terri Wright should face charges for doing independent research into the case during trial.

In court documents filed Wednesday, prosecutors said they planned to oppose Banton's latest appeal and could not prosecute Wright simultaneously. They suggested that the court appoint another prosecutor to pursue charges against Wright.

Banton is serving a 10-year sentence for convictions on cocaine conspiracy and trafficking charges stemming from a 2009 arrest.

Banton's attorneys have sought to withdraw from the case. Chokwe Lumumba was elected mayor of Jackson, Miss., last month, and Imhotep Alkebu-lan became special assistant to that city's attorney.


Source: http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/state/buju-banton-feds-wont-file-contempt-charge-against-juror-in-jamaican-reggae-singers-drug-trial

Buju Banton Returns To Court On June 26

Incarcerated reggae star Buju Banton will have his day in court on June 26, 2013.

Federal Judge James Moody Jr. has ordered the Grammy-winning singer, as well as, embattled juror Teri Wright to appeared in court on the same day in relation to the ongoing juror misconduct case.

Buju Banton and his legal team, headed by Chokwe Lumumba, are requesting a new trial on the grounds of a juror misconduct.

Teri Wright, who helped put Buju Banton behind bars for 10 years, told a South Florida journalist last year that she researched aspects of the case during the trial.

However, a massive dent was dealt to Buju Banton case against the juror last month when a computer expert found no trace of research on her computer hard drive.

Banton’s lawyers, however, said she turned over the wrong hard drive.

Buju Banton, real name Mark Myrie, is currently serving a 10-year sentence in a Florida prison after being convicted for drug trafficking. He is also facing an additional five years for a gun charge that was previously thrown out.

Judge James Moody is expected to hand down a ruling on June 26.

Source: http://urbanislandz.com/2013/04/18/buju-banton-returns-to-court-on-june-26/

Judge to order search of former juror's hard drive in Buju Banton case

A Florida federal judge is to order a juror to hand over her computer hard drive for a forensic search by an expert as international reggae star Buju Banton seeks a new trial. 

The matter came up in court yesterday. According to the Tampa Bay Times, US District Court Judge James Moody said he would allow a defense computer forensics expert to make a copy of the hard drive belonging to Terri Wright, who was the jury foreman at the trial. 

Buju’s attorneys are accusing Wright of violating court rules when she alleged researched information on the Jamaican entertainer during the trial. The judge reportedly ordered that the expert could only release information about the alleged research to attorneys and that all other material should be kept private. 

Wright has denied the allegation saying she conducted research only after the case had ended. Buju’s attorneys want his 2011 drug conviction to be overturned and a retrial ordered. Buju, whose real name is Mark Myrie, is serving a 10-year prison term on his drug conviction.

Source: http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=42991

Buju gets another date in court

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Reggae artiste Buju Banton has been granted a right to an evidentiary hearing by US magistrate James Moody.

Buju will be taken before the US Sam Gibbons Court in Tampa, Florida on December 20.

The court is to look into an admission by female juror, Terri Wright, that she violated federal regulations and researched aspects of the case over the Internet during the trial in order to have a better grasp of the issues.

Wright said she had secretly researched the Pinkerton Law, which was used by the prosecution to connect Buju to an illegal firearm that was found in the possession of a co-conspirator, James Mack, during a cocaine transaction in a police-controlled warehouse in Tampa.

Along with Wright, three other jurors will appear before the court at the December hearing.
Banton was given a 10-year sentence for drug related charges and missed being slapped with an additional five years on a gun conviction. The recommended for an additional five years by an Appellate Court came after two motions filed by his newly appointed legal team that he should be granted a new trial. The first motion was for the judge to reconsider his prior sentence and reduce it. The second motion was for a new trial based on jury misconduct.

Yesterday lead attorney Chokwe Lumumba told the Jamaica Observer that the ruling was a fillip to his client’s case. “It means we can demonstrate that the juror was guilty of misconduct and they should grant a mistrial,” Lumumba said.


Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Buju-gets-another-day-in-court