Lawyers representing dancehall entertainer Vybz Kartel and his three murder co-accused in their appeal, will respond tomorrow to submissions made by prosecutors.

The prosecutors who presented counter arguments Friday and today (Jul 23) are asking the Appellate Court not to set the men free.

When the appeal hearing resumed today, Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Jeremy Taylor, disclosed that one of the jurors was released after the murder trial had started because she was fearful to continue sitting on the jury.

Taylor said the reason was because her son was in custody at the same facility where Kartel and his co-accused were housed.

The female juror had also disclosed that on a visit to her son, she and one of the accused men had made eye contact.

Taylor noted that the female juror said her son told her that Kartel had approached him.

Submitting further, Taylor said the matter was aired in chambers and the presiding judge took the decision to release her from jury duty.

The prosecution said all the lawyers representing the accused men were present when the decision was made to discharge the juror and they did not oppose the decision.

The judge then said he would announce in open court that the juror was being released for personal reasons.

Prosecutor Taylor was responding to submissions last week by the appellants’ lawyers that the men were not in chambers when the decision was taken to discharge the juror and that that was a breach of their right to a fair trial.

He said the judge did not err because there is legal authority which states that an accused can be absent from a discussion in chambers once a court reporter was present taking official notes.

The lead prosecutor also opposed legal arguments from the men’s legal team that the verdict was rushed.

He said jurors deliberated for almost two hours before convicting the men and the presiding judge had told the jurors to take as long as they wanted to consider the verdicts.

The four appellants were convicted of the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams who was beaten to death at a house in Havendale, St. Andrew in August 2011.

Vybz Kartel, Shawn “Storm” Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St. John are appealing to have their convictions overturned.