Spellbound - Murder, music, mystery grip the nation

Erica Virtue, Senior Gleaner Writer

It is not the most important case to have passed through the island's courtrooms in the last 20 years. It offers no groundbreaking precedent like the Shanique Myrie case before the Caribbean Court of Justice, nor will it change the status quo like the 1993 Pratt and Morgan ruling of the Privy Council.

However, the trial of dancehall star Vybz Kartel and four co-accused has captured full national and international attention.

The self-proclaimed 'World Boss' and leader of the Gaza Empire in Portmore, St Catherine, has been imprisoned for the last 30 months, charged with the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams.

Courtroom drama

The public is being treated to a daily diet of courtroom drama, including real-time reports about late and sick jurors; temporary adjournments and dramatic legal arguments presented in Patois and English.

But what has made this 'made-for-media' trial so captivating to the public, and why has it attracted this wide a global audience?

For sociologist and radio talk-show host, Dr Orville Taylor, Kartel, even without his legal worries, is a newsworthy personality who has significant influence and following from uptown and downtown.

According to Taylor, one of the factors keeping so many glued to the media is that the main accused is not from uptown.

"The way everything is woven and the tales being told, the issue comes across as something to be watched on (television shows) Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) or Law and Order.

"The personalities involved, from prosecution to accused, to defence, are major factors keeping the nation spellbound," said Taylor.

"Here is a very popular public personality, Kartel, who is liked by a particular group of people, and bearing in mind the demographics of the country, I think he is liked more than he is hated. This is someone who is popular, although he represents the roughest edge of dancehall music," added Taylor.

Attorney-at-law and former radio talk-show host, Dr Paul Ashley, agreed about the media pull of the controversial dancehall star.

According to Ashley, "dramatic" is perhaps the best way to describe Kartel even without a trial. Ashley said anything else involving the celebrated dancehall artiste will be fodder for a "television audience".

"It's a dramatic event. It reads like a movie. It's filled with intrigue, it's about music, murder and mystery. The whole circumstances have all the traits of a CSI. This is better than any Judge Judy," said Ashley.

Judge Judy is a syndicated cable series available to local cable operators and patrons, while CSI is a police/crime drama. Real-time trials are held, and verdict handed down by a single judge on Judge Judy. However, a jury will decide Kartel's future.

Nothing better in the news

Ashley added that there is nothing better going on in the news. He argued that the trial is good for media houses, which are getting "juicy details without any investment".

"If the radio stations in particular didn't have this trial to cover, what else would they be doing?" questioned Ashley.

"Televisions are absent from the courtroom, so they get creative, and the lawyers realise that they are being quoted verbatim. So everything and everybody is on show. It's a showpiece," said the former radio talk-show host.

Noted musicologist Clyde McKenzie posited that Kartel is arguably the most influential personality in dancehall music today, and that could partially explain the public interest.

"He is a larger-than-life dancehall artiste. Now you have a case of intrigue, mystery and murder. So people are fascinated with mystery. The whodunnit thing," argued McKenzie.

"He is an influential figure. He is intelligent, charismatic and interesting. People look to him and are fascinated by him for different reasons. All of that kind of fascination has individuals forming judgements and coming to conclusions. This will keep people glued to news about the person," he suggested.

McKenzie believes it is Kartel's personality that is driving his huge following.

The judge is expected to start his address to the jury when the trial resumes on Thursday, with a nation and a large global audience glued to the media for the verdict which will be delivered by the 11-member jury.