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Jussie Smollett To Appeal Staged Hate Crime Conviction In Illinois Supreme Court

March 28, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Back in 2021, California-born actor Jussie Smollett was convicted of five counts of disorderly conduct. He was charged for accusing two men of attacking him in Chicago, which was later found to be a hoax. Now, Smollett will have an opportunity to plead his case before the Illinois Supreme Court in an attempt to get his conviction overturned.

Smollett has previously argued that he shouldn’t face further prosecution after Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx dropped his case. Following his conviction, he was sentenced to 150 days behind bars. He served only six days in jail before being released. He was additionally ordered to pay the city $120K in restitution, a $25K fine, and serve 30 months of probation. The scandal also cost him his role in Empire.

Jussie Smollett Maintains His Innocence

Jussie Smollett To Appeal Staged Hate Crime Conviction Before Illinois Supreme Court — Jussie Smollett attends Atlanta Black Pride Weekend Pure Heat Community Festival at Piedmont Park on September 4, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)

Smollett has maintained his innocence since allegedly staging the hate crime alongside two former Empire extras, Ola and Bola Osundairo. He’s been accused of orchestrating the 2019 hoax in an effort to bolster his career in entertainment. In December of 2023, a panel of three judges voted 2-1 to uphold Smollett’s conviction in an Illinois appeals court. This meant that Smollett would have to serve the remainder of his 150-day sentence or bring his appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Jussie Smollett’s name was most recently thrust back into headlines when Scottie Beam slammed Joe Budden for his controversial takes on the actor. She accused him of giving her a hard time for refusing to call him a “fa**ot” before having “all the info.” What do you think of Jussie Smollett maintaining his innocence? What about the actor being allowed to plead his case before the Illinois Supreme Court? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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Andrew Tate Loses Appeal Over Asset Seizure, $17M Remains In Police Custody

March 22, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have lost their appeal to reclaim $17M worth of assets seized by Romanian law enforcement. As a result, the seized property will remain in police custody. As for the brothers themselves, they remain in police custody awaiting extradition to the United Kingdom. They have been charged with 21 counts of rape and sexual assault and will face trial in London.

Adin Ross recently apologized to Tate as the streamer, and disciple of Tate’s lifestyle brand, inadvertently got the influencer arrested. Ross had revealed on stream that Tate had told him that he was “planning to leave Romania and not come back”. This reached the Romanian authorities, who detained Tate for attempting to violate the conditions of his pre-trial release. However, Ross also noted that Tate had forgiven him and wanted the streamer to come to Romania to collaborate on some content. The veracity of this offer remains to be seen given the Tates’ impending extradition.

Andrew Tate & Elon Musk Turned Down Millions To “Sell Their Souls,” Influencer Claims

(Photo by DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP via Getty Images)

Elsewhere, Tate has cryptically claimed that he and Elon Musk turned down multi-million dollar payments to sell out. “I turned down 50m to sell my soul. All I had to do was shut up on certain subjects and sell trash to kids. I refused. Then I was arrested. Elon turned down 500m plus. Not many hero’s left. G,” Tate cryptically wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Tate did not specify who had offered the money or what he would have to stop speaking on to receive it. As a result, the post reads like a generic “deep state” conspiracy tweet. Later in the day, Tate reposted a post about the “new world order” from 2013.

Furthermore, people pointed out several hypocrisies. First, people noted that Tate is currently beefing with Musk because Musk seemingly ignored his offer to “advertise X on X” for $1M a month. Additionally, people noted that Musk had “sold out” in recent weeks. Musk went from a fierce advocate of Palestine to posting pro-Israel content and even touring Israel with government officials.

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R. Kelly Appeal Update: Attorney Claims State Is Pushing RICO Charges Too Far

March 18, 2024 by newhiphopnews

R. Kelly is still fighting for his presumed innocence in federal appeals court, and on Monday (March 18), his attorney took aim at the framework that seeks justice for his crimes. Moreover, Jennifer Bonjean argued that the prosecution stretched out RICO laws “to the point of absurdity,” meaning that they misconstrued many aspects of this case for criminal gang activity. Not only that, but she believes this could set a dangerous precedent moving forward when it comes to other groups and crimes that RICO could wrongfully cover. During a hearing for the Court of Appeals of the Second Circuit, Bonjean told a judge panel that his employees were just staffers who did their job, not co-conspirators pushing crimes as RICO outlines.

Furthermore, she believes prosecutors were “preposterous” in their invocation of RICO laws to convict R. Kelly, a conviction and framework that she seeks to reverse. “The government has extended the RICO statute to a set of circumstances that is so beyond what the framers intended, which was to get at organized crime,” Jennifer Bonjean expressed. “Now, we’re talking about an organization with an alleged criminal, but not organized crime.” The singer’s 2021 conviction on nine RICO charges referenced his organized and long-running plot to gather and take advantage of women, both of age and underage. For this and much more, he received a 30-year prison sentence in 2022.

R. Kelly Performing In 2013

R. Kelly Appeal Case Attorney RICO Sexual Abuse Music News — R. Kelly performs onstage at the 2013 BET Experience at Staples Center on June 30, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images for BET)

Regardless, at Monday’s hearing Jennifer Bonjean claimed that R. Kelly’s employees knew nothing of these crimes. Since the government could not prove otherwise, she argued, then RICO laws and convictions shouldn’t apply here. “The defendant had a system in place that lured young people into his orbit and then took over their lives,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kayla Crews Bensing counter-argued. She brought up evidence that the disgraced R&B star’s team knew enough of what was going on, including testimony that one of his colleagues approached a 16-year-old at a McDonald’s, gave her his number, and told her to call him. In addition, another employee alleged to have answered phones for the Chicago native’s “girlfriends,” and according to this worker, some of them were “mid-aged teenagers.”

“This is all evidence that the jury was entitled to infer that Kelly’s inner circle knew what was going on: that he was recruiting and maintaining underage women for sexual activity,” Bensing stated. While federally overturned convictions, Bonjean achieved this for Bill Cosby back in 2021 for similar crimes. After Monday’s hearing, which comprised of a lot of legal muddy water, the court will decide on this appeal in the next few months. “RICO is looking at organizations, that are then used to commit criminal acts,” Judge Denny Chin remarked. “It doesn’t have to be a criminal organization. It could be a completely legitimate organization. But if it engages in racketeering activity, it violates RICO.” For more news and updates on R. Kelly, stay posted on HNHH.

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Vybz Kartel’s Murder Conviction Overturned Due To Alleged Juror Misconduct

March 14, 2024 by newhiphopnews

It’s been more than a decade since Vybz Kartel was put behind bars over the disappearance of his associate Clive “Lizard” Williams, whose body has yet to be found. Fans and peers have continuously called for the Jamaican dancehall artist to be released, particularly amid worrisome health issues he reportedly faced last year. The performer’s attorney told Fox 5 that he was battling a “life-threatening” illness in June while dealing with allegedly “inhumane” prison conditions.

Things are looking up for the hitmaker now, however. Today, Vybz Kartel appeared in court alongside his three co-defendants where he appealed his lifetime prison sentence, with a minimum of 32 and a half years. His appeal was successful, though the case can still be retried. He will remain behind bars for the time being.

Vybz Kartel Wins Murder Conviction Appeal

Vybz Kartel's Murder Conviction Overturned After 13-Year Prison Stint — Performs onstage during MTV’s Tempo network launch celebration October 16, 2005 in St. Mary, Jamaica. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)

During the hearing, the defendants’ attorneys cited alleged juror misconduct that took place during the 2014 murder trial. Allegedly, one juror offered other jurors $500K in an attempt to sway the outcome of the trial. The Privy Council ruled that because of this, the original conviction should be overturned. “The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has concluded that the appeals should be allowed and the appellants’ convictions should be quashed on the ground of juror misconduct, and that the case should be remitted to the Court of Appeal of Jamaica to decide whether to order a retrial of the appellants for the murder of the deceased,” a statement by the Privy Council reads.

It’s unclear at the time of writing whether or not the case will be retried. What do you think of the latest development in the case of Vybz Kartel and his co-defendants? Are you glad that his murder conviction has been overturned? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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Tory Lanez Appeals Again In Megan Thee Stallion Shooting Case, Brief In Limbo

February 26, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Tory Lanez is still appealing to vacate his sentence in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting case, whose conviction resulted in a 10-year sentence. According to reported Meghann Cuniff, the brief reopening this appeal process isn’t in court records yet, but she will provide updates on developments as they emerge. Given this new revelation, folks got to debating again over whose side they believe in this legal case. For example, Drake recently took to his Instagram Story to advocate for his fellow Canadian’s freedom. Others still stand by the Houston MC, and they must all now wait for the next step in Lanez’s legal journey.

Furthermore, this brief and new appeal process is based on a December request from last year to vacate his sentence. Specifically, Tory Lanez wants the court to reevaluate his case following a new testimony from his driver and bodyguard Jauquan Smith, who had not testified previously. In addition, his legal team believes that other factors, such as his “childhood trauma” and the court’s erroneous decision to deport him, will play a role. According to Cuniff’s reporting on this, though, the court wasn’t expected to come to a decision on this matter for a couple of months, so we’ll see if they say anything about the appeal in the near future.

Meghann Cuniff Previews New Tory Lanez Appeal

The brief is to build off the Lanez’s petition filed in December about the driver that didn’t testify. Much more in my article from then: https://t.co/aUe641wMd4

— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) February 26, 2024

Meanwhile, these developments come as folks like Wack 100 try to turn the case around in Tory Lanez’s favor in the public eye. He recently claimed that there’s unreleased video footage out there of the alleged shooting that would ruin Megan Thee Stallion’s career if it comes out. While many fans expressed heavy skepticism over this, the music executive doubled down on his claims. Not only that, but he also alleged that, since the supposed clip in question was apparently recorded by a minor, it’s not admissible as evidence in court.

However, there are also certain bright spots in Lanez’s prison stay. He’s still been able to engage with fans and see his family, so regardless of all the drama around him, he’s trying to do the best he can with what he has. Hopefully this personal peace and gratification is something that persists regardless of what the appeal’s outcome is. For more news and the latest updates on Tory Lanez, come back to HNHH.

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Jussie Smollett Takes Case To Illinois Supreme Court

February 6, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Jussie Smollett is taking his case regarding false claims he made about being a victim of a hate crime in Chicago in 2019 to the Illinois Supreme Court. His lawyer has filed a request to have his 2021 conviction for five felony counts of disorderly conduct revisited. At the time, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx agreed to a plea deal in which the actor didn’t have to admit guilt. However, Smollett claims public outrage over his case influenced the state into further prosecuting him. In turn, he believes it to be a case of double jeopardy.

“What should have been a straightforward case has been complicated by the intersection of politics and public outrage,” Smollett’s attorney Nenye Uche wrote in the filing. “The dismissal of the Petitioner’s charges, after his complete performance, was the result of a collaborative effort and agreement reached between the State and the Petitioner.”

Jussie Smollett Attends BET Awards

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: Jussie Smollett during the 2022 B.E.T. Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

According to TMZ, Smollet references the prosecutor’s initial comments which read: “After reviewing the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, the State’s motion in regards to the indictment is to nolle pros [not prosecute]. We believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case.”

In the end, Smollett got 150 days in jail, as well as 30 months of probation, $120,106 in restitution to the City of Chicago, and a $25,000 fine. He previously appealed the conviction, but an Illinois court upheld the disorderly conduct ruling. If the case falls through in the Supreme Court, he’ll have to return to jail to finish out his sentence. Be on the lookout for further updates on Jussie Smollett on HotNewHipHop.

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Jussie Smollett Loses Appeal, Vows To Take Case To The Supreme Court

December 1, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Jussie Smollett has lost his appeal for fabricating a violent hate crime against himself. An appeals panel ruled 2-1 against Smollett, meaning his original 150-day prison sentence will be upheld. However, Smollett announced in the hours after the verdict that he wasn’t done fighting. “We wish to highlight that the decision was divided, with Justice Lyle offering a detailed analysis in favor of Smollett. We are preparing to escalate this matter to the Supreme Court, armed with a substantial body of evidence,” a representative for Smollett said.

While he waited on his verdict, Smollett entered rehab. Representatives for Jussie Smollett have told TMZ that the actor entered rehab in mid-October to address unspecified issues. “Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years. He has quietly been working very hard for some time now and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps,” a statement from his team read. Furthermore, the outlet was told that Smollett is in an outpatient program. However, many viewed the move as an attempt to garner sympathy ahead of his appeal verdict.

Jussie Smollett “Attackers” Criticize Rehab Move

Some of the most vocal critics of Smollett’s rehab timing were the two men he hired to attack him. Ola and Bola Osundario spoke with TMZ, the brothers said that Smollett had a problem that required rehab, he should have checked himself in a long time, not when his court ruling was imminent. Furthermore, the brothers argued that the rehab move is a sympathy play. They believe Smollett is trying to earn house arrest rather than being sent to prison. It’s unknown when Smollett left rehab.

However, Smollett’s decision to elevate his case to the Supreme Court complicates matters. It’s unclear if he will be remanded into custody while his latest, and likely final, appeal plays out. Furthermore, the timeline of when his case would be heard by the Illinois Supreme Court is also unknown. This remains a developing story and we’ll have any updates as and when they emerge.

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C-Murder Appeals Murder Conviction Again

November 29, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance decided to uphold C-Murder’s murder conviction in federal court, after two key witnesses recanted their testimonies. They had previously implicated the rapper, born Corey Miller, in the 2002 murder of 16-year-old Steve Thomas. He’s currently serving a life sentence for allegedly carrying out the fatal shooting, but he’s already filed an appeal.

“NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Petitioner, Corey Miller, appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from the District Court’s decision rendered on November 14, 2023, dismissing Petitioner’s Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus. R. Doc. 14,” the appeal reads. “Additionally, Petitioner prays that this Court grant him a Certificate of Appealability.”

C-Murder Continues To Fight His Conviction

C-Murder with girlfriend and Kernel (Photo by Skip Bolen/WireImage)

In Judge Vance’s recent ruling, she claimed that C-Murder failed to “put forth clear and convincing evidence of error in the state courts’ findings of fact.” This is far from the first time his appeal has been denied, however. He’s been working to get his conviction thrown out, or to at least be granted another hearing, for the past 14 years. He was first convicted of the alleged murder in 2009. Kim Kardashian famously brought attention to his case earlier this year after working on it herself for years.

“Louisiana recently enacted a new law that provides innocent people with the ability to raise a post-conviction claim of factual innocence,” she explained in August. “Mr. Miller has raised such a claim and, like all of his prior post-conviction filings, has been denied relief without even so much as an evidentiary hearing. In light of the fact that the only witnesses have completely recanted their testimony, there is absolutely no remaining evidence against Mr. Miller. Corey Miller deserves a day in court to test the veracity of the recanted statements and to prove that he did not shoot Steve Thomas.” Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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C-Murder’s Murder Conviction Upheld In Federal Court

November 29, 2023 by newhiphopnews

U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance upheld C-Murder’s murder conviction on Monday in federal court. The decision comes despite two key witnesses recanting their testimony and admitting that their comments implicating the rapper were false. C-Murder was convicted of killing 16-year-old Steve Thomas in 2009. The shooting occurred at the Platinum Club in New Orleans in the early hours of January 12, 2002.

Vance explained her ruling in a 47-page decision, arguing that C-Murder’s lawyers had the legal burden to “put forth clear and convincing evidence of error in the state courts’ findings of fact, which he has failed to do.” For now, Murder will continue serving a life sentence for the crime.

C-Murder Attends “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts” Premiere

Plenty of celebrities have spoken out in support of freeing C-Murder in the years since his conviction. Kim Kardashian has taken a vocal interest in particular. Back in August, she posted a lengthy statement about working on his case on social media. “Rather than search for the real perpetrator of the crime, the local sheriff’s office zeroed in on proving a case against Mr. Miller. The lead detective harassed multiple witnesses and mishandled the case to such a degree that the trial court had no choice but to grant Mr. Miller a new trial after he was convicted in 2003,” she explained. “Louisiana recently enacted a new law that provides innocent people with the ability to raise a post-conviction claim of factual innocence. Mr. Miller has raised such a claim and, like all of his prior post-conviction filings, has been denied relief without even so much as an evidentiary hearing. In light of the fact that the only witnesses have completely recanted their testimony, there is absolutely no remaining evidence against Mr. Miller.”

C-Murder intends to appeal Vance’s decision to a higher federal court. Be on the lookout for further updates on C-Murder’s case on HotNewHipHop.

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Derek Chauvin Loses Appeal Chance In George Floyd Murder

November 20, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The Supreme Court shot down Derek Chauvin’s attempt at an appeal in the 2020 murder of George Floyd on Monday. The former Minnesota police officer is currently serving over 20 years in prison for the killing which sparked worldwide protests. His legal team argues that the conviction came during a period of political upheaval and jurors were influenced to not acquit out of fear of further protesting.

“This criminal trial generated the most amount of pretrial publicity in history,” Chauvin’s attorney William Morhmann said at the time, as noted by Fox News. “More concerning are the riots which occurred after George Floyd’s death (and) led the jurors to all express concerns for their safety in the event they acquitted Mr. Chauvin — safety concerns which were fully evidenced by surrounding the courthouse in barbed wire and National Guard troops during the trial and deploying the National Guard throughout Minneapolis prior to jury deliberations.”

Derek Chauvin Booked For The Killing Of George Floyd

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 21: In this photo provided by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, former Minneapolis police officer Derek. Chauvin poses for a booking photo after his conviction April 21, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges in the murder of George Floyd. (Photo by Minnesota Department of Corrections via Getty Images)

Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22.5 years in prison after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in his 2021 trial. Chauvin kneeled on the neck of Floyd for just under 10 minutes prior to his death. Floyd repeatedly pleaded with officers, mentioning his inability to breathe.

Despite pleading guilty at the time, Chauvin says he’s since heard from a Kansas pathologist who claims Floyd could’ve died from complications of a rare tumor called a paraganglioma. He and his legal team want to present that theory in court. They hope it would result in a successful appeal. Be on the lookout for further updates on Derek Chauvin’s sentence on HotNewHipHop.

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