convicted

Young Dolph’s Convicted Killer Seeks New Trial Over “Insufficient” Evidence

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The man convicted for the murder of Young Dolph, Justin Johnson, just filed a motion for a retrial last week (Friday, October 25). “The verdict regarding the offenses of conviction was contrary to the weight and sufficiency of the evidence, and the evidence was insufficient to lead any rational trier of fact to conclude that Mr. Johnson was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” Johnson’s lawyer Luke Evans shared in writing. “The trial court erred by admitting gruesome photographs of the victim’s body at the crime scene […] admitting gruesome autopsy photographs […] and denying Johnson’s repeated motions to allow him to sit at the counsel table. The cumulative effect of multiple errors at trial warrants granting Mr. Johnson a new trial.”

For those unaware, the court found Justin Johnson guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and unlawful possession of a handgun by a convict with a felony history last month. He received a sentence of life in prison for the murder of Young Dolph. As for the other alleged perpetrators of this attack, Cornelius Smith – who had testified against Johnson – is scheduled to appear in court on November 15 to answer for first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and attempted murder charges.

Read More: Ralo & Kenny Muney Bury The Hatchet After Explosive Young Dolph Argument

Young Dolph & Gucci Mane At Super Bowl LII

Young Dolph Murder Convicted Killer Retrial Motion Hip Hop News
Feb 4, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Recording artists Young Dolph (left) and Gucci Mane (right) pose for a photo during Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images

According to Smith’s testimony, he acted as one of the gunmen who shot and killed Young Dolph. Per his allegations, Hernandez Govan hired him and Justin Johnson to murder the rapper for an alleged $100K bounty. Yo Gotti’s brother Big Jook allegedly put out a hit on the Memphis MC. Govan also faces charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and attempted murder. Prosecutors set a deadline of November 22 for him to decide whether or not he will accept a plea deal.

Not only that, but Justin Johnson’s lawyer alleged that Hernandez Govan entered a proffer agreement with prosecutors during the Young Dolph investigation. This is presumably so he could provide information about the crime to law enforcement in a way that bars them from using that info against him. However, Govan did not testify during Johnson’s trial. If he doesn’t take a plea deal, he will face trial in March of next year.

Read More: Wack 100 Tells Yo Gotti To “Say Your Prayers” As He Believes Feds Are Coming For Him Next

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Maino Recalls His Ex-Girlfriend Getting Shot During Taxstone Shooting

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Maino recently told his side of the story of Taxstone’s shooting, an incident amid a Troy Ave beef which hit the podcaster with a 35-year prison sentence for his role in the incident. During his latest appearance on VladTV with DJ Vlad, the host first clarified some false reports about the New York City rapper playing a role in the shooting. They posited that he actually had nothing to do with it at all, although the MC and Vlad revealed that he does have a personal connection to it. Apparently, his ex-girlfriend was also shot during this incident, and while he didn’t speak on what he saw as a witness to the shooting, he did contextualize his thoughts on the matter.

“I said exactly everything that I said about it already, I don’t want to keep harping on that,” Maino began. “And I don’t want to keep giving life to n***as that I don’t believe even deserve life, you know? Once you work out a deal with the prosecution and get on the stand for your own wrong deeds, to work out a deal with the prosecution and go get on the stand and point your finger at another n***a, it ain’t no me and you. We ain’t into nothing.

Read More: Joe Budden Seemingly Shades Taxstone After Rory & Mal Convo

Maino Speaks On Taxstone Shooting With DJ Vlad

“S**t happens, though, Vlad,” Maino continued. “That’s the thing, like… You know, I come from a world where we’ve had gunplay accidents, right? ‘Cause I see things on the Internet. ‘N***as shot your girl!’ I’m like, ‘What?’ She got hit by mistake, right? When I was 14 years old, I shot my friend in the stomach by mistake. We was playing with the gun, some s**t happened, and then I shot him in the stomach by mistake. I didn’t mean to shoot him.

“We still friends to this day,” Maino explained. “I’ve had a lot of gun accidents. That’s not the only [one]. S**t happens. When you playing in some type of life and you a young n***a, things can happen. When you outside and you involved in back-and-forths with other Black males, and you playing with guns and s**t like that, s**t can happen. Everybody knows that. Friendly fire is a thing, right? I’ve watched that happen many times. […] When you understand the context of that, then you can understand who I am and the way I deal with things. So when you talk about her getting hit, she wasn’t hit on purpose.”

Read More: Maino Says Hitmaka’s Lying About His Infamous Slap

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6ix9ine’s Former Associate Found Guilty Of Fraud & Extortion

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While 6ix9ine has dealt with quite a few of his own legal troubles recently, he isn’t the only one in his inner circle going through it. Earlier this week, a friend who had a pretty strong connection to the rapper wrapped up his trial. Lamor Whitehead has a history with the rapper that dates back to at least 2018. Whitehead stood up for the controversial rapper earlier in his career and even had him on stage to profess his spirituality during an event in New York. He’s described Whitehead as a spiritual advisor, but going forward it might be a lot harder to get that advice.

Whitehead was just convicted of 5 different charges brought against him, making for a pretty serious verdict. Included in his convictions are charges of wire fraud, attempted extortion, and lying to the FBI. According to New York Daily News, some of the charges spawned from Whitehead stealing the life-saving of the mother of one of his parishioners. He’s reportedly facing up to 45 years in prison and is due to be sentenced in July. At some point in the past few years, 6ix9ine distanced himself from the spiritual leader.

Read More: What Is 6ix9ine’s Best-Selling Single?

6ix9ine’s Spiritual Leader Facing 45 Years In Prison

6ix9ine is still in the thick of some legal troubles of his own. He’s currently still staying in the Dominican Republic, where he’s been since he was arrested for assault last year. Recently, pictures made the round of the rapper in an anger management class. He has to take the class as a condition of his release from prison last year. He also has to remain in the Dominican Republic for a still unclear length of time. Earlier this year, he released an EP of new music, though the lack of promotion caused it to go unnoticed by many other than his die hard fans.

What do you think of 6ix9ine’s former spiritual advisor being convicted to five felonies and facing 45 years in prison? Do you think the rapper’s music career will be on track once he’s dealt with his own legal problems? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: 6ix9ine Statue Erected In Cuba

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Casanova’s Co-Defendants Eligible For Life Sentences Following RICO Convictions

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Back in 2021, Casanova along with 12 of his alleged Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Blood associates were arrested and hit with various RICO charges. The Brooklyn native went on to renounce his ties to the gang ahead of his sentencing. “I learned through my music career that people will listen and that I don’t need to associate myself with a gang to succeed,” his handwritten letter to the judge read. “I don’t need to associate with a gang even if I don’t succeed.” He was handed nearly 16 years by the judge at the end of June. As for his co-defendants, two of them appeared in court earlier this week and were convicted of racketeering and more.

Dwight “Dick Wolf” Reid and Christopher “Beagle” Erskine are now both eligible for life sentences. They were acquitted of their gun charges per court records. Their sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Both defendants are accused of being leaders of the street gang, which is believed to be responsible for “multiple acts involving murder.” Reid was described by prosecutors as the “gang’s founder and prison leader” while Erskine is believed to have been their “street leader.” Their trial lasted for three weeks, though further details surrounding witness testimonies, etc. are not available at the time of writing.

Read More: Casanova Shares New Flick From Jail, Flexes Muscles For The Gram

Dwight “Dick Wolf” Reid and Christopher “Beagle” Erskine Convicted Of Racketeering

Casanova's Co-Defendants Formally Convicted, Could Face Life Sentences
Casanova attends the BET Hip Hop Awards 2019 at Cobb Energy Center on October 05, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET)

In July, Casanova’s lawyer James Kousouros confirmed that he had formally appealed his 15-year sentence. He filed a compassionate release motion in August, arguing that his robbery charge should instead be considered larceny. Prosecutors remain insistent that he stay behind bars while he and his team continue to push for release.

Throughout Casanova’s trial, his team relied heavily on the consequences of the rapper publicly disavowing the gang, which allegedly landed him in the middle of a brutal prison altercation earlier this year. According to reports, fellow inmate Ulysses Lugo attacked Casanova, later prompting several other inmates to get involved. What do you think of Casanova’s co-defendants getting convicted? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Casanova Formally Appeals 15-Year Prison Sentence

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Woman Who Murdered Beyonce’s Cousin Found Guilty

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Earlier this week, Sasha Skare, who fatally shot Beyonce’s cousin Martell DeRouen, began her trial. She had quite a bit of evidence working against her, including security footage, witness testimonies, and more. With that being said, after around two hours of deliberation, the jury found her guilty of murder. The verdict was read aloud in court today, and she didn’t appear to have much of a reaction at all.

DeRouen was a 34-year-old up-and-coming rapper who performed under the name Kardone. Back in 2021, Skare reportedly got into a verbal altercation with him at his apartment, leading him to tell her to leave. She was then captured by neighbors’ Ring cameras walking through the halls of the building holding a gun, and according to reports, fired a single shot through the door. Neighbors claim they heard banging on the door, as well as the gunshot. The woman who lived across the hall from DeRouen also says she saw Skare pounding on his door just before his murder.

Read More: Beyoncé Has Tapped DJ Khaled To Join Her Reinassance Tour

Sasha Skare Sentenced To 55 Years In Prison

During the trial, audio from a 911 call made by Skare also showcased her claiming to be DeRouen’s wife, Joia. She told dispatchers that she was locked out of the apartment and had been injured. Joia, however, says that it wasn’t her that made the call. “She pronounced the last name wrong,” she explained in court. “My name starts with a J and not a G. He was not 28, he was 34. Not correct at all.” 

Ahead of Skare’s trial, she also turned down a plea deal for a 20-year prison sentence. Now, she’s been sentenced to 55 years behind bars. After Skare’s guilty verdict was announced, DeRouen’s sister Kami shared her victim impact statement. “The pain and agony you brought upon my family is unbearable,” she explained. “Fix your sheets, if you have any, because you’ve made your bed and now it’s time for you to lay in it.” Keep an eye on HNHH for more news and updates.

Read More: Beyonce Vs. IRS Continues As Singer Is Ordered To Pay $2.7M In Taxes & Penalties: Report

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Harvey Weinstein Convicted On 3 Of 7 Charges In Sexual Assault Trial

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Harvey Weinstein is facing 24 years in prison after a court found him guilty of rape and sexual assault. The charges stem from one of four women prosecutors accused him of assaulting in Los Angeles for the case. In total, the jury found him guilty of three of seven charges.

Weinstein’s spokesperson Juda Engelmayer reacted to the decision in a statement. He remarked that they are “disappointed” in the results and plan to appeal, before adding, “He is grateful the jury took their time to deliberate on the other counts and he is prepared to continue fighting for his innocence.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 04: Former film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in court at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on October 4, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Harvey Weinstein was extradited from New York to Los Angeles to face sex-related charges. (Photo by Etienne Laurent-Pool/Getty Images)

The L.A. jury deliberated for a total of 41 hours before reaching their decision. While they found him guilty on three charges, jurors also acquitted Weinstein of one count of sexual battery by restraint against a massage therapist in a hotel room in 2010. They were also a hung jury on one count of sexual battery by restraint, one count of forcible oral copulation, and one count of rape related to two other women.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom was the victim in the last charge. She’s the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsome released a statement responding to the results.

“I am so incredibly proud of my wife and all the brave women who came forward to share their truth and uplift countless survivors who cannot,” Newsom said in part.

Jurors will return to court, Tuesday, to consider aggravating factors. This will impact Weinstein’s sentencing hearing, according to the DA’s office.

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