Buju Loses Cool in Court

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'Big mouth' Buju apologises for outbursts

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...s-for-outburst

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Jury to decide on Buju’s fate

Jury to decide on Buju’s fate

Buju Banton, who was arrested in December 2009, could face life in prison if convicted of all the charges.
FLORIDA, United States, Friday February 18, 2011 – The fate of Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton will today be placed into the hands of a jury after four days of testimony in which prosecutors painted him as a drug dealer and the defence countered with claims that it was the singer’s “big talking”, and not any illegal act, that has landed him in trouble.

Judge James Moody is scheduled to give the jury instructions this morning, following which deliberations will begin on whether Buju is guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine; attempted possession with the intent to distribute cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offence; and using a communication facility to facilitate a drug-trafficking offence.

Yesterday, Buju – real name Mark Myrie – finished off his testimony with friends and fans looking on in a packed courtroom. He denied that he was broke and had been pursuing the drug deal with government informant Alexander Johnson to get back on his feet financially – a claim made by the prosecutor, Assistant US Attorney James Preston.

A day earlier, during more than four hours on the witness stand, the Grammy-winning singer said: “I know it may look bad and it may sound bad, but I am not a drug dealer. Yes, I talked the talked, but I did not walk the walk.”

In closing arguments yesterday, defence attorney David Oscar Markus pushed that argument that his client was just a big talker who was trying to impress Johnson, but really wasn’t involved in any drug deal.

As for the gun and wire charge against Buju, which were added to the indictment after the first trial on two charges ended with a hung jury, the lawyer said they were absurd and showed how desperate the prosecution was to convict his client.

But Preston reminded the jury that Buju had been recorded by Johnson in several conversations in which he talked about drug deals. The prosecutor insisted that the accused thought he was getting involved in a no-risk deal in which he would collect money from drug transactions.

On Wednesday, the court heard from three of Buju’s friends – Jamaican musicians Stephen Marley and Gramps Morgan and independent documentary maker Stephanie Black – who all testified that they did not know Buju to be involved in using or dealing cocaine, while Black added that she knew Buju to be “boasty”. The witnesses also talked about the singer’s music being uplifting and providing guidance to the youth.

But in his closing arguments, the prosecutor tried to separate Buju’s two roles.

"This is not about Buju Banton, the reggae singer," Preston said. "This is about Mark Myrie, the drug defendant."

Buju, who was arrested in December 2009, could face life in prison if convicted of all the charges.