Appeals Court Gives Buju Banton The Boot

Chances of a new trial for Buju Banton have been dismissed.

The international entertainer has lost his appeal against his conviction on cocaine conspiracy and trafficking charges after a ruling by the 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta Georgia in the United States on Thursday.

In its ruling, the appeals court insisted that it agreed with the jury’s decision to convict Buju Banton of federal drug charges in February 2011 as he was found guilty of three charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting a person’s use of a telephone to facilitate a drug crime.

The Circuit Court also agreed with the jury that Buju was guilty of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. That charge had been dismissed by the trial judge after the verdict was read.

The three-judge panel also rejected Buju Banton's argument that his right to a speedy trial had been violated.

Buju’s legal team issued its appeal in the artiste’s case last December, citing entrapment as well as the possible violation of a constitutional right, dubbed the Speedy Trial Act.

Buju was appealing his 10 year sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and the use of a phone to facilitate a drug crime.

Buju Banton’s current release date is set for February 1, 2019.