Banton Defense Team Launches Letter Writing Campaign To Supreme Court

The Supreme Court

The legal team for GRAMMY Award-winning reggae star, Buju Banton, has  launched a new letter writing campaign — this time aimed at the Supreme Court — to build further awareness about the highly controversial federal drug case that landed the beloved Jamaican music icon behind bars.

The letter writing campaign comes on the heels of the Free Buju Press Conference that was held early last week on Capitol Hill. Banton’s new defense attorney, Chokwe Lumumba, organized the Washington D.C. event in conjunction with the Buju Banton Defense Support Committee to formally announce the filing of a petition for a Writ of Certiorari with the Supreme Court.

Dr. Carolyn Cooper Speaks @ Free Buju Press Event in D.C.

The panel of special guest speakers included GRAMMY Award-winning reggae artist and producer, Stephen Marley; Dr. Carolyn Cooper, author and lecturer at the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica; Brother Aula Sumbry, radio host and Chairman of the NAACP Prison Committee in Trenton, New Jersey; attorney and progressive policy advocate, Nkechi Taifa; longtime Banton friend and collaborator, Gramps Morgan; Salim Adafo, Vice-Chairman of the National Black United Front; and Banton co-counsel, Imhotep Alkebu-Lan.

Legal Eagle Chokwe Lumumba

Lumumba also addressed the attendees. “I think he is a political prisoner,” said the veteran legal eagle. “There is a generational gap between the struggle to free political prisoners and the struggles of young people. [Buju is helping] to keep the act of freeing political prisoners a relevant one to all generations that exist right now.”

Banton is currently housed at the Pinellas County Jail in Clearwater, Florida, where he awaits a decision from trial judge James S. Moody, Jr. who is deliberating on two motions recently filed by his lawyers: 1) Motion for reconsideration of sentence  2) Second motion for new trial (due to possible juror misconduct).

Mr. Lumumba, the Buju Banton Defense Support Committee and the Gargamel Music Family are asking all friends, fans and activists around the world to stand in solidarity with the ongoing movement to Free Buju by writing a letter to the Supreme Court today. All letters should be sent to Lumumba’s office:

 

United States Supreme Court

C/O Attorney Chokwe Lumumba

440 N. Mill St.

Jackson, Mississippi 39202

 

Hon. Supreme Court Justices:

 

I am writing this letter in support of Mark Anthony Myrie (Buju Banton).

 

Mr. Myrie has filed a petition in this court seeking review and reversal of drug, conspiracy, weapons possession and phone facilitation convictions occurring in the U.S.District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division.

 

The convictions of Mr. Myrie are outrageous and unjust. Mr. Myrie was the victim of a concerted U.S. government effort to entrap, conducted by a corrupt informant who was paid 3.5 million dollars by the government for his services in various cases over the years.

 

Mark Myrie is a Grammy Award winning reggae artiste from Jamaica. He has never been convicted of a crime prior to the present case. He has helped feed numerous hungry children in his country and otherwise contributed to worthy causes in Jamaica and elsewhere. He is supported by hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions worldwide.

 

I ask this honorable court to review his case and grant Mark Myrie the relief he deserves.

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::SIGN::

 ~ Free Buju Online Petition To Supreme Court ~

::WATCH::

~ Free Buju Press Conference On Capitol Hill ~

::BUY::

~ Official Free Buju T-Shirts ~