LA Lewis Beats Portmore Toll Booth Breach Charges

President Abraham Lincoln once wrote “the man who defends himself in court has a fool for a lawyer and a jackass for a client”.

But try telling that to popular social media commentator and entertainer LA Lewis, who feels vindicated that he did exactly that and beat the Jamaica court system again.

When contacted for a comment on his recent legal conquest — this time he was freed over a toll booth incident — he was in a joyous mood.

“This is the biggest victory so far because dem come hard against me, this was not just against the toll operators, but also the Andrew Holness team, but dem wanted to make an example outta me,” an elated LA Lewis told DancehallMag.

“I challenged the system say dem have to have leniency pon people who ah go through the toll because anno every time ah man ah go through the toll him have money. If him no have money, let him through and him can come pay another time,” he mused.

Interestingly, the Seven Star General aka ‘the Queen grandson’ did not use the occasion to thumb his nose or mock the Jamaican legal system.

“The system is good, it is the leaders who are weak, the Prime Minister and dem people de,” an elated L.A Lewis said.

“It is the ones who control the system who are weak, the cops are not getting the full pay they need, so they are not going to risk their lives everyday 100 per cent when dem a get some pay weh no make no sense…”

“Nobody in the system is getting no good pay, even in the courts, the workers, not even the Clerk of Courts, nobody is getting no good pay, so it leave the system to go haywire. the people who are operating in the institution office, the lawyers, the Clerk, they are good, but the leaders is not running the system good.”

He regarded the victory as one that gave him bragging rights over Prime Minister Andrew Holness. “So when I go in the system all the while…is not the system I beat, I am showing the Prime Minister that he needs to get more smarter,” LA Lewis said.

‘BET YU A MILLION DOLLARS’

“Overall, mi just a show the people that LA Lewis is the real leader for the country , I bet you a million leaders that the Prime Minister cannot go in the courthouse without a lawyer…if him do that, him ah go lose the case,” he said.

LA Lewis said that the poor remuneration offered to civil service workers created a non-functioning system that is failing society.

“The court system and the tax office ah pull in billions of dollars a year time but the workers are not properly compensated…the people in the court house bruk,” Lewis mused.

The former graffiti artist dedicated his legal victory to the memory of former firebrand talk show host, attorney, and political party founder Antoinette Haughton Cardenas, who died over a year ago in the United States.

“Anno guzu do it, ah smartness mek mi win the case, I took it personal to win this case just for Antoinette Cardenas. I win several more case already, I win case against NSWMA, all by myself without an attorney because I learned from the best. She teach me a lot and I have a lot of law books that she left with me when she was leaving…she said ‘LA you’re gonna need these things’, you see me meet with the Maroon government, mi meet with Prince Charles,” LA Lewis recounted.

LA Lewis’ victory is even more remarkable given that the Jamaica Constabulary Force was alerted to his breach by a self-implicating video posted to his Instagram page, in which he breached a toll barrier at the St. Catherine toll.

In the 30-second clip, ‘LA’ breezed past a short line of traffic at the toll and, after expressing an unwillingness to wait, decided to take matters into his own hands.

He said in the now-viral video while alternating between his front-facing and back cameras: “Seet ya people, di emperor people, mi do wa mi feel like… Mi inna da toll ya people, and it a tek too long.”

He then proceeded to force his car through the toll barrier.

Lewis challenged the legality of the toll booth set up in Portmore, St. Catherine.

“This is one of the biggest illegal toll booth ever in Caribbean history. Yu put a toll right in front of a man yard gate, the man haffi pay fi go inna him house and pay fi come back outta him house,” he said, alleging that it disproportionately affected residents of Waterford, and Port Henderson Road.

“The cost of gas alone and the long length ah go kill yu over Ferry way.”

RUN-INS WITH THE ‘SHORT’ ARM OF THE LAW

L.A Lewis made the news when he was charged with COVID-19 protocol breaches. He joined protestors in October 2020, in St Catherine, Jamaica, and told the media to “stop tell lie.”

He accused the media of being part of a conspiracy to make COVID-19 seem real. He accused Jamaican PM Andrew Holness of paying off the media to do the dirty work of spreading rumours about what was described as a “common flu”.

He was arrested not long afterwards for breaches of COVID-19 protocols. He attended court on two occasions and failed to return thereafter, resulting in the court issuing a bench warrant for his arrest.

Later, cops ambushed him in June 2021 as he attempted to feed the homeless in Spanish Town and executed a bench warrant for his arrest.

He labeled his arrest as an act of kidnapping.

In June 2019, Lewis was forced to answer to a charge of robbery with aggravation in a case that dated back to 1995. In court, he claimed that he did not know there was a warrant out for his arrest, and begged the court to grant him bail to allow him to travel to Canada to meet an engagement.

He is accused of having held a knife to a man’s side on Matthew’s Lane in downtown Kingston, and stealing the man’s wallet which contained $200. The complainant later pointed out Lewis to the police.

In September 2019, Lewis was arrested by the police for driving a motor vehicle without a driver’s licence earlier this week.

Lewis was pulled over by the police for reportedly failing to obey instructions that were given by law enforcers along Hagley Park Road in St Andrew.

In January 2018, LA Lewis filed an official police report that he had been accosted by men on New Year’s Day in the Waltham Park area. Lewis claimed he was attacked by the men in relation to a dispute between himself and veteran artiste Sizzla over the release of a controversial sex tape showing him performing oral sex.  

Sizzla had lambasted LA Lewis for the leaked video during his performance at the GT Taylor Xtravaganza show in St Elizabeth a few weeks before, declaring that: “LA Lewis, anytime me see yu again me ago kick yu under yu throat.”

In October 2012, LA Lewis and two other accused was formally charged with breaches of the Trademark and Copyright acts. Members of the Organised Crime and Investigation Division, acting on intelligence, conducted raids at separate premises in the Corporate Area where the alleged illegal operation was being carried out.The raid reportedly uncovered an alleged fake fruit drink operation where the products were being sold to unsuspecting persons.

In August 2011, Lewis was fined $70,000 for breaches of the National Solid Waste Act.

The National Solid Waste Management Authority says he was fined for illegally defacing public spaces across the corporate area with slogans like ‘We Love LA Lewis’.

In June 2010, LA Lewis was an alleged victim when he was slapped by Beenie Man, who was later arrested and charged in the incident.

Mourners were leaving the funeral service for Voicemail member Oneil Edwards when LA Lewis and Beenie Man were involved in an accident.

The reports suggested that LA Lewis was bidding farewell to onlookers when he reportedly ran his vehicle into the back of Beenie Man’s sport utility vehicle. An enraged Beenie Man reportedly slapped LA Lewis and guns were reportedly drawn in the altercation.