Law enforcement has revealed that a 2018 arrest warrant for dancehall artiste Mavado remains active after the entertainer vowed to take legal action against the state. Mavado, born David Brooks, made it clear that he would be pursuing a legal battle with the state after his son’s murder conviction was overturned.
Mavado’s son, Dante Brooks, was convicted for a 2018 murder. After being incarcerated for seven years, he was acquitted on all counts by the Court of Appeal after the state failed to contest his appeal. Mavado responded to his son’s case by accusing law enforcement of wrongfully imprisoning his son and called the case a “grave miscarriage of justice.”
Days after the entertainer condemned the state of Jamaica’s judicial system and made his intentions to take legal action known, the state brought the outstanding arrest warrant for a 2018 assault charge to the forefront of the media. This has since sparked speculation regarding whether or not the deejay is being targeted for publicly criticising Jamaica’s justice system. Many are pondering why the state has not taken action to enforce the seven-year-old warrant until now.
Mavado’s lawyer, Oswest Senior-Smith, said that his client was “very surprised” that the warrant existed, Prism Marketing Consultants reported. He said his client frequently communicated with Jamaican authorities, and the warrant was never mentioned.
Deputy Superintendent Randy Sweeney said that the warrant was issued on June 9, 2018, after Anthony Goulbourne made a complaint, according to Prism Marketing Consultants. The news outlet also noted that Goulbourne was also charged in 2018 for allegedly discharging a firearm at the deejay. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) also confirmed that the warrant remains valid.
It is unclear if the authorities will seek extradition. It is possible for the entertainer to be extradited based on the extradition treaty that Jamaica has with the United States. The treaty allows individuals to be transferred if the penalty for the alleged offence is at least a three-year sentence. Mavado is believed to be living in the U.S., and he faces a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which carries a maximum sentence of three years.