Hip Hop Legal Woes

Lil Boosie Pleads Not Guilty to Murder

Lil Boosie officially entered into a not guilty plea today June 28th during a court hearing related to a murder charge against the popular rapper.

Boosie, born Torrence Hatch, was in court for a total of about two minutes, where he stood before Judge Mike Erwin and pleaded not guilty to murdering 35-year-old Terry Boyd in October of 2009.

“I think he’s absolutely not guilty. I think he meant what he said. He’s absolutely not guilty,” Boosie’s defense attorney, Marcus Allen told WAFB Channel 9. “We’re just going to prepare for his defense and get ready to address the charges.”

District Attorney Hillar Moore declined to speak on the facts of the case after the hearing, but noted that Boosie was fighting several other cases, including drug conspiracy.

In addition to the 1st-degree murder charge, Lil Boosie is accused of smuggling codeine and marijuana pills into Hunt Correctional Institute with the help of an ex-correctional officer and his girlfriend y.

“I’d rather wait for the evidence to speak as to what happened,” said District Attorney Hillar Moore. “He’s got several different cases, so it depends on which one you’re talking about. He also has the introduction of the drugs into the prison and obviously, he’s presumed innocent at this point.”

Lil Boosie could face the death penalty if he is convicted of 1st degree murder.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tweet This Post

Fat Joe Cleared of Sexual Assault Accusation

Police in Madison, Wisconsin have officially closed an investigation into Fat Joe and his entourage, over sexual assault allegations.

A 33-year-old woman claimed that Fat Joe and men in his entourage groped her inside of the rapper’s Cadillac limousine, as they prepared to leave The Orpheum Theater last Sunday June 20th.

According to a lawyer for Fat Joe, the rapper was the real victim in the case, since he never touched the woman and never had contact with her.

Police questioned for Fat Joe for a few minutes in his hotel room and was never detained by the police.

“Making a false claim of a sexual nature in order to extort money is one of the most horrific accusations because it not only tarnishes reputations but has the potential to destroy families,” Fat Joe’s lawyer Dawn Florio Esq. said in a statement. “Mr. Cartagena wholeheartedly thanks his family, friends, and fans for their continued support, loyalty, and words of encouragement throughout this ordeal.”

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tweet This Post

Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty in Arizona Drug case

Appearing live via satellite from his Rikers Island jail in New York, “Tha Block Is Hot” rapper copped to a drug charge Monday in Yuma County, Arizona.

The good news is he won’t be adding more time to his current year long stint in the big house.

Weezy pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a dangerous drug stemming from his 2008 arrest, when the U.S. Border Patrol searched the hip-hopster’s tour bus at a checkpoint and found one ounce of cocaine, 41 grams of Ecstasy, drug paraphernalia and a handgun.

In return for his admission, Yuma County District Attorney’s spokesman Kevin Tunell says that several other counts were dropped, including possession of a narcotic drug for sale, misconduct involving weapons and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Lil Wayne entered Rikers in March after copping to attempted weapons possession that resulted from a 2007 bust—when cops searched his tour bus and found a loaded .40-caliber pistol.

Lil Wayne kissing Baby

If he remains on good behavior, the 27-year-old Grammy winner could be out in as little as eight months.

And by switching his plea to guilty in the Arizona case, according to the deal hashed out with Yuma prosecutors, Lil Wayne is now expected to receive just three years’ probation.

The MC’s Arizona-based lawyer was unavailable for comment. Sentencing is set for June 30.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tweet This Post

Hip Hop should be outraged by the acquittal of Dolla’s accused murderer

Aubrey Berry, Atlanta based music promoter who’s been in jail for the last year accused of murdering Akon’s rising star Dolla, was acquitted by a jury in Atlanta.

As we reported at the time of the murder, Dolla was in Los Angeles to continue work on his debut album A Dolla & A Dream. Aubrey Berry was charged for the murder. Many believed the Los Angeles shooting stemmed from an altercation a few weeks prior between Dolla and Aubrey Berry in Atlanta.

The prosecution said Berry killed Dolla and then asked a valet to bring him his rented sports car before driving around the dying Burton. Prosecutor Bobby Grace told the court: “Defendant Berry murdered Roderick Burton in cold blood, then tried to escape”.

Berry claims he acted in self defense.

Main points from Berry’s defense team that lead the jury to a not-guilty verdict are a cause for outrage:

• Berry genuinely believed Dolla had a gun (no such gun was ever produced)
• College-educated Berry lead, until then, a relatively violence-free life
• Dolla demonstrated a desire for a violent lifestyle through his rap lyrics

I am going to hold my tongue now because anything I might say will be very inflammatory.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tweet This Post

Suge Knight arrested for assault with a a deadly weapon

Marion “Suge” Knight was arrested in Los Angeles on Thursday for assault with a deadly weapon, police said.

Knight, 45, who co-founded Death Row Records in the 1990s and helped launch rap acts like Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur, was pulled over by police early on Thursday. Local TV station KABC broadcast video of Knight being handcuffed next to his white Cadillac SUV. Read more…

Popularity: unranked [?]

Tweet This Post

Jay-Z sues Red Sox Player David Ortiz over nightclub name

NEW YORK – Jay-Z and a business partner are suing slugger David Ortiz, claiming the Boston Red Sox star named his Dominican nightclub after the mogul’s chain of 40/40 clubs.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Manhattan Federal Court, accuses Ortiz of naming his Santo Domingo club Forty-Forty in the hopes of trading in on the rap star’s fame.

The suit seeks over $5 million in damages and for Ortiz to forfeit any use of the 40/40 name.

Jay-Z’s string of bars can be found in Manhattan, Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

“David Ortiz is fully aware of Plaintiff’s Manhattan 40/40 club, since he had been a patron there on several occasions before he opened his Infringing Forty/Forty club,” the lawsuit states.

The clubs are named after the feat of hitting 40 homers and stealing 40 bases in one season.

A message seeking comment was left Thursday night with SFX Baseball, the agency that represents Ortiz.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tweet This Post

Lil Wayne has a new Job in Prison

When Lil Waynes not writing letters to fans and communicating through his new website, the recording artist has a new mandatory job: suicide watch for other prisoners. This bizarre news, published in today’s US Weekly, comes from Antonia “Toya” Johnson, one of Wayne’s longtime baby mamas.

“Wayne has a job,” Johnson said. “They got him on suicide watch for other prisoners. He watches the crazy prisoners and makes sure they don’t kill themselves. He likes the job even though they don’t pay him much.” We’re pretty sure this is a job for a qualified professionals, but either way Johnson offered another confirmation that Wayne is doing fine and serving out his sentence in relative peace. “He is getting along with everybody,” she claimed.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tweet This Post

Waka Flocka Flame arrested and jailed Check it

Waka Flocka Flame is being held in the Houston County Jail on a probation violation.

Jail officials confirmed that Waka Flocka Flame, whose real name is Juaquin James Malphurs, was arrested by the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and is being held on a probation violation. He was taken into custody on Tuesday. The nature of the probation violation was unknown Wednesday. He received probation for a charge of possession of a sawed-off shotgun.

Juaquin James Malphurs, 23, aka Waka Flocka Flame

is signed to So Icey Entertainment, a label founded by rapper Gucci Mane.

His debut single, “O Let’s Do It,” sits at No. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 9 on the magazine’s Hot Rap Songs chart. All of the Commercial signed Hip Hop Artists are getting arrested its time to let the Indie superstars in the game, whats the damn deal. Whats going on in Hip Hop these days? Got money go to the beach and chill why everyone want to get put on lockdown.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tweet This Post