lawyers Archives - New Hip Hop News

Megan Thee Stallion Could Score Legal Win After Opposing Lawyers Miss The Mark

November 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Megan Thee Stallion continues to face a lawsuit for alleged harassment from her former photographer Emilio Garcia, but she might find a win within it soon. According to journalist Meghann Cuniff, lawyers representing Garcia didn’t attend a pre-trial conference in Manhattan federal court last week, and thus could face possible sanctions. In fact, the judge reportedly issued an order for them to explain why they shouldn’t face these sanctions via a legal filing by tomorrow (Tuesday, November 12). The next pre-trial conference will reportedly take place on November 18 in Manhattan federal court, and all parties (including the defense) must appear.

Furthermore, the court stated that the plaintiff’s legal team did not motion to adjourn the conference before its scheduled time. Of course, none of this means that Megan Thee Stallion will automatically beat this alleged harassment case, but it could pose serious consequences for her opposition. This follows some other online narratives that have spread about the Houston femcee. One of them is Jason Lee’s allegations that she fought Winnie Harlow at a Michael Rubin party. But some of these narratives also cross over into the legal realm.

Megan Thee Stallion Harassment Lawsuit Gets Crucial Update

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Undeniably, the main one that comes to mind is the conviction of Tory Lanez for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, which remains a highly controversial matter. There are still a lot of conflicting narratives around his appeal, her assessments of the situation, and other details that came about during the trial. Sadly, we seem no closer to detoxifying that discussion and focusing on the facts above all else, and so every motion for appeal or response to it carries some backlash. Also, it doesn’t seem like Meg became distracted with all the ruckus, as she remains committed to upholding the truth and justice in her eyes.

Another legal matter that Megan Thee Stallion hopes to dismiss quickly is a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement from Plies. It concerns his track “Me & My Goons” and her GloRilla collab (and eventual Cardi B remix) “Wanna Be.” We’ll see what updates emerge in the near future concerning these varied legal matters, especially considering their differing implications, jurisdictions, and severities.

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YNW Melly’s Lawyer Finally Gets A Win Ahead Of His Double Murder Retrial

October 23, 2024 by newhiphopnews

YNW Melly’s attorney, Raven Liberty, has finally gotten a judge to agree to address 20 motions in the rapper’s retrial for an alleged double murder. As caught by NBC 6 South Florida, a status hearing in the case was held in court on Tuesday. Liberty used the opportunity to complain about the “plethora of motions” that she has been unsuccessfully trying to set hearings for over the last several months.

“I made several attempts to schedule the close to, I think, 15-20 motions that are still outstanding. We could not get state to agree with any dates and your office then told us not to contact them unless the state agrees to dates,” Liberty told the judge. The prosecution added that they’ve been getting confused by which motions are for which cases, to which Liberty added: “I don’t think there’s any motion that I have filed that date goes past May. It’s October. They’ve had time to respond.”

YNW Melly Booked In Ft. Lauderdale

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL – FEBRUARY 13: In this handout photo provided by the Broward’s Sheriff’s Office, rapper Y.N.W. Melly, real name Jamell Demons, is seen in a police booking photo after being charged with two counts of murder in the first degree February. 13, 2019 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Demons allegedly conspired with Cortlen Henry to fatally shot two other Florida based rappers, Christopher Thomas Jr and Anthony Williams. October 26. (Photo by Broward’s Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images)

In response, the judge told both sides, “I’ll give you dates and then whatever motions the defense wants me to hear, just file a notice of hearing… likewise state, if you have anything you want me to hear, you can file a notice of hearing for the same date and time and say this is the motions that you want me to hear. And I’ll hear them.” From there, both parties agreed to hearings on January 6th and 7th to address all of the motions.

The update comes after the judge set Melly’s new trial date for September 10, 2025, earlier this year. His first double murder trial ended in a mistrial, last year. He’s been behind bars since 2019. Be on the lookout for further updates on YNW Melly on HotNewHipHop.

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YNW Melly’s Lawyer Puts Pressure On The State Ahead Of Murder Retrial

October 16, 2024 by newhiphopnews

YNW Melly’s lawyer is attempting to get answers regarding upwards of 20 motions that remain outstanding in the rapper’s ongoing alleged double murder case. Appearing at a status hearing on Tuesday, attorney Raven Ramona Liberty demanded an explanation.

“I made several attempts to schedule the close to, I think, 15-20 motions that are still outstanding,” Liberty said, as noted by AllHipHop. “We could not get the state to agree with any dates and your office then told us not to contact them unless the state agrees to dates.” The judge responded: “I’ll give you dates and then whatever motions the defense wants me to hear, just file a notice of hearing. And just articulate on the notice of hearing these are the motions that are going to be heard. And then likewise, state, if you have anything you want me to hear, you can file a notice of hearing for the same date and time and say this is the motions that you want me to hear, and then I’ll hear them.”

YNW Melly Arrested In Florida

When the prosecution argued that they were going to need a list of the motions, Liberty countered: “I gave her the list. Some of these motions—when I actually gave the list, I gave dates … I don’t think there’s any motion that I have filed that date goes past May. So to say we need time to respond, it’s October. They’ve had time to respond.”

Hearings regarding the motions are scheduled for January 2025. They mark yet another prolonged wait for Melly, who has been behind bars since his initial arrest in 2019. He stands accused of killing YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser. He originally stood trial in 2023, but the case ended in a mistrial. His retrial is scheduled for September 10, 2025. Be on the lookout for further updates on YNW Melly on HotNewHipHop.

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Former Adult Star Accusing Diddy Of Assault Dropped By Lawyers

October 2, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Former adult star Adria English, one of Diddy’s accusers, is without a legal team, according to an exclusive report from AllHipHop. In her lawsuit, she alleges that she was subjected to forced sex trafficking in the early to mid-2000s. Because of these alleged acts, English said she’s been suffering from emotional trauma, intimacy issues, painful memories, and etc. However, if she wants this lawsuit to progress, then she has to clean up her alleged “destructive behavior.” That is the way Ariel Mitchell-Kidd, Esq., and Steven A. Metcalf II, Esq, her now two former attorneys, have described her attitude in the new documents.

But that’s not all. Mitchell-Kidd expounds upon this later into the paperwork. “[English] has provided conflicting instructions that make it unreasonably difficult for Attorneys to effectively represent English,” she began. “There has been a breakdown in the Attorney-Client relationship between Attorneys and [English]. Recent communications with [English] were heated and contentious, emblematic of previous conflicts where [she] was warned about her tone and lack of respect”.

Both Of The Adult Star’s Lawyers Release Statements Amid Diddy Lawsuit

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 19: Sean Combs attends the Forbes Media Centennial Celebration at Pier 60 on September 19, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

These “contentious” arguments were a byproduct of an “alleged violation of an agreement signed mere days before the lawyers’ exit”. While English has put herself in a sticky situation, not all hope is lost. Mitchell-Kidd and Metcalf II told the court that this isn’t going to affect the future outcome due to the suit’s premature nature. At this time, English is currently in the process of finding some new representation.

What are your thoughts on adult star, Adria English, losing her attorneys amid her Diddy lawsuit? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Diddy and all of his lawsuits. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the world of music.

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Yak Gotti’s Lawyers Have A Unique Idea To Speed Up “Arduous” Trial

August 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Yak Gotti’s legal team has submitted a motion requesting that the judge in the YSL RICO case implement a time limit on the state’s case as the trial continues to drag on. In doing so, they argued that the prosecution has been unprepared and inefficient in the presentation of its evidence.

The motion begins: “As this Court has broad discretion to exercise reasonable control over the presentation of witnesses and evidence, the Court should use that discretion to prevent this trial from stretching indefinitely and beyond the reaches of time due to the State’s unpreparedness and inefficiency, and presentation of cumulative evidence causing undue delay, poor decision making by the jury, as well as harm to Kendrick and other Defendants. Simply put, the Court should put a reasonable time limit, or clock, on the remainder of the State’s case.” From there, it describes the trial as an “arduous, tedious journey.”

Yak Gotti Attends Young Stoner Life Meet & Greet

The motion comes as the state still has 100 witnesses left to call and the trial is already the longest-running in Georgia’s history. YSL (Young Slime Life) is accused of being a criminal street gang responsible for numerous crimes including murder. Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump expressed his interest in the case, agreeing with Adin Ross that district attorney Fani Willis is treating Young Thug unfairly. “I heard that actually,” Trump responded to Ross during their stream together. “So, I’ve heard about him and I’ve heard he’s being treated very unfairly by her [Willis] and I would tell her she’s gotta treat these patriots that are being all– it’s terrible. They’re going after them.” He concluded: “He’s gotta be treated fairly.”

Yak Gotti’s Lawyers File New Motion

Lawyers for Yak Gotti have filed a motion asking the Judge to put a time limit on the remainder of the states case due to their repeated lack of preparation, waste of time, and cumulative evidence.

Remember, the state has over 100 witnesses left on its witness list. pic.twitter.com/NXwW1L2PD5

— THUGGERDAILY ひ (@ThuggerDaily) August 19, 2024

Check out the latest motion in the case above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Yak Gotti, Young Thug, and the YSL RICO trial on HotNewHipHop.

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Dame Dash’s Lawyers Deliver Resignation Over Unpaid Fees

April 7, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Dame Dash’s lawyers, Felton T. Newell and Justin H. Sanders, Esqs., of Sanders Roberts LLP, have officially resigned from representing him in the lawsuit from photographer Monique Bunn. In doing so, they cited a “breach of contractual obligations to the firm,” regarding unpaid legal fees. They originally filed the motion to withdraw, last month. At the time, they alleged Dash, “failed to fulfill their financial obligations under their retainer agreement, resulting in the firm initiating an enforcement action against them.”

Attorney Christopher Brown filed the lawsuit on behalf of Bunn back in February, while arguing that the jury in a previous case regarding the unpaid use of her photographs didn’t understand the damages Dash’s actions had on the photographer. “The evidence at trial – which was uncontroverted – established that each photo was worth $1,500, which should have resulted in a verdict for at least $384,750,000,” Brown wrote. “It is well known that professional photographers earn much of their income through licensing their portfolio of photographs, and Defendants’ actions destroyed Ms. Bunn’s economic prospects. The jury ignored the valuation evidence and awarded zero to Ms. Bunn.”

Dame Dash Speaks At InventFest

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 07: Dame Dash speaks onstage during the 2022 InvestFest at Georgia World. Congress Center on August 07, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

He continued: “It is impossible to conceive how a jury could conclude that a professional photographer’s portfolio of thousands of photos, as well as photography equipment, could be worth zero. Especially when the Plaintiff and the Defendants both testify that the damages are in the millions. A new trial is warranted under these circumstances.” Check out the resignation from Dash’s attorneys below.

Dame Dash Loses His Legal Team

Dame Dash’s attorney officially resigns over unpaid legal fees pic.twitter.com/XovXdmx9LM

— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) April 7, 2024

Christopher Brown is the same lawyer involved in the lawsuit regarding the film Dear Frank. That case resulted in Dash being ordered to sell his Roc-A-Fella Records shares to cover a $900,000 judgment awarded to Josh Webber. Be on the lookout for further updates on Dame Dash on HotNewHipHop.

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Lizzo’s “I Quit” Message Labeled An “Outburst Seeking Attention” By Lawyer For Her Dancers

April 2, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Attorney Ron Zambrano, who is representing the dancers that are suing Lizzo, says the “Truth Hurts” singer’s message about quitting music is simply “another outburst” and that she’s just “seeking attention.” She made headlines, last week, for claiming to retire from music due to the constant bullying she faces online. The statement was met with a mixture of criticism and support.

“It’s a joke that Lizzo would say she is being bullied by the internet when she should instead be taking an honest look at herself,” Zambrano wrote in the statement obtained by Billboard. “Her latest post is just another outburst seeking attention and trying to deflect from her own failings as she continues to blame everyone else for the predicament she is in. Lizzo’s legal and public relations strategy is a failure, so she is desperately trying to play the victim. She has thrown these childish tantrums before. No one actually believes she is quitting music. But she should quit sexually harassing, shaming and bullying her employees and finally accept responsibility for her actions.” He further argued that toxic behavior is ruining the entertainment industry and cited Diddy and Dan Schneider as examples.

Lizzo Attends Vanity Fair Oscars Party

US singer Lizzo attends the Vanity Fair Oscars Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California, on March 10, 2024. (Photo by Michael TRAN / AFP) (Photo by MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)

A spokesperson for Lizzo addressed the comments in a statement also provided to Billboard. “With nearly half his case dismissed, 18 independent witnesses siding with Lizzo and no settlement on the way to get him his tasty contingency fee, Ron has started making wild personal attacks that have absolutely nothing to do with the clients who he is supposedly representing. We would humbly recommend that Ron start representing his clients and stop representing just himself,” it reads.

Lizzo “Quits” Music

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A post shared by Lizzo (@lizzobeeating)

Check out Lizzo’s initial message about giving up on music above. Back in August of last year, the three former backup dancers filed their lawsuit against Lizzo, accusing her of sexual, religious, and racial harassment, and much more. She has denied the allegations. Be on the lookout for further updates on Lizzo on HotNewHipHop.

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Dame Dash Needs Help Paying For Legal Representation In Lawsuit: Report

March 4, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Dame Dash is finding more issues than he bargained for in a lawsuit against him from photographer Monique Bunn. Moreover, according to court documents exclusively obtained by AllHipHop, he breached his agreement with the legal firm representing him in this $51 million case, Sanders Roberts LLP. They filed a motion to withdraw as representatives of the New York City native, as well as of Damon Dash Studios, Poppington LLC, and Raquel Horn. According to the firm, all co-defendants have not fulfilled their contractual obligations, with Dash specifically being accused of not paying them properly under a retainer agreement and resulting in enforcement action against all parties.

Furthermore, the firm’s partner Felton T. Newell claimed that they spent a lot of time, energy, and resources on representing Dame Dash, but that he’s very behind on his legal bills. Apparently, this relationship broke down so heavily that Sanders Roberts LLP no longer feels able to represent him or his goals. The court will address this request on May 28, 2024, but the Roc-A-Fella executive will still have representation in the form of lawyer Xavier Robert Donaldson if the court grants the motion, as Donaldson is still representing him at press time.

Dame Dash At “The Prince Of Detroit” Premiere In

Dame Dash Lawsuit Lawyers Payment Legal Bills Hip Hop News — DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JUNE 23: Entrepreneur/Director Damon Dash arrives at “The Prince Of Detroit” Detroit Premiere at Detroit Music Hall on June 23, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Monica Morgan/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, for those unaware, this lawsuit began in April of 2019 from photographer Monique Bunn and her lawyer Christopher Brown. The story goes that Bunn stayed at Dame Dash’s L.A. mansion for a photoshoot for his Poppington brand. According to the photographer, Jay-Z’s former partner exhibited inappropriate behavior and unlawfully kept a hard drive with over 100,000 celebrity snaps. The court cleared him of sexual assault charges, but his libel liability led to a $30,000 award for defamation to Bunn.

However, now the photographer and her attorney are seeking more action from the court, calling for a new trial to receive her due compensation for property damage. Also, Bunn has another lawsuit against Dash and his wife for $1 million for a separate defamation incident, in which they allegedly claimed she was a thief for unauthorized credit card charges in a video. He denied any and all claims and thinks that Brown is trying to extort him, as he’s already won two suits against him. The 52-year-old’s legal team thinks these are all attempts to harass and abuse the legal system for media attention. For more news and the latest updates on Dame Dash, stick around on HNHH.

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Diddy’s Latest Sexual Assault Accuser Hires Cassie’s Lawyers

December 7, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Diddy and his team recently received their fourth (allegedly fifth) sexual assault lawsuit in the past three weeks. Moreover, this whole situation became a PR nightmare for him as of late, and the sheer number of accusations paint a dark picture of his alleged behavior and attitudes. What’s more is that these cases relate to each other in unique ways, especially when it comes to how they might play out in court. Furthermore, a Jane Doe recently accused Sean Combs and two other men of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. According to reporter Meghann Cuniff, the plaintiff hired the same lawyers that worked with Cassie in the settled lawsuit that kicked this wave off.

“This is now the fifth lawsuit filed against Mr. Combs in the last three weeks,” the latest lawsuit against Diddy reads. “Incredibly, the allegations brought by Ms. Doe are in many ways even more egregious than those brought by his prior victims.” Not only that, but we’re also getting rumors and whispers of how this whole situation is impacting the industry. Apparently, this resulted in a “logistical nightmare” for the Grammys, for which he is nominated for this year.

Cassie’s Lawyers Reportedly Helping Diddy’s Latest Alleged Victim In Court

The same lawyers who represented Cassie in her quickly settled lawsuit against Diddy have sued him again, this time on behalf of a woman who’s staying anonymous.

This complaint has a “trigger warning” on the front page, too, just like Cassie’s did. pic.twitter.com/AJJXFNnrD3

— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 6, 2023

Meanwhile, amid all this speculation and legal action, the Bad Boy mogul finally broke his silence on all this. Rather than state something through his attorneys, he took to social media recently to stand up for himself. “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” Diddy posted on Instagram. “For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

However, this situation will likely become even more high-profile in the next few months. That is, if 50 Cent is really producing a documentary on the whole scandal. We’ll have to wait and see if that manifests. For more news and the latest updates on Diddy, check back in with HNHH.

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NBA YoungBoy Wants House Arrest Rules Relaxed To Help With Depression & Use Of Outside Studios

November 28, 2023 by newhiphopnews

NBA YoungBoy is requesting that the terms of his house arrest be eased so that he can once again record music at an outside studio. Additionally, his legal team says it will help with his anxiety and depression. They want the allowance of “certain” activities with approval from his pretrial officer due to his “deteriorating” mental health.

“Being confined to his home and unable to complete his employment obligations has led to great anxiety, depression, loss of weight, and sleep. Mr. Gaulden [NBA YoungBoy] has been visibly stressed and has expressed concern and loss of hope that he will be able to return to his contracted employment obligation,” his lawyers said. They added that his sales have “suffered” due to his “limited ability to produce quality recordings” and that he’s already “exhausted all his options for recording in his home with a very limited production crew.”

NBA YoungBoy Performs At Lil WeezyAna

NEW ORLEANS, LA – AUGUST 25: NBA YoungBoy performs during Lil. WeezyAna at Champions Square on August 25, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

Under the proposed terms, YoungBoy would still be subject to adhering to a curfew, wearing an ankle monitor at all times, and having a limitation on visitors. He would also be unable to tour. In response, prosecutors argue that the request is “hopelessly vague.” “The United States fails to see how the defendant’s current conditions of pre-trial release prohibit him from seeking and obtaining mental health treatment,” Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Morris said in a filing submitted on Monday, as noted by The Fader. He added that YoungBoy can receive “necessary” medical appointments through telehealth therapy. As for the recording of new music, Morris cited the recent release of his latest record, Decided 2, as proof his house arrest isn’t stopping his work.

The judge in the case has yet to issue a ruling on the proposal. A grand jury originally indicted YoungBoy in March 2021 on felony weapons possession in Louisiana. Be on the lookout for further updates on NBA YoungBoy and his ongoing case on HotNewHipHop.

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