life sentence

C-Murder’s Murder Conviction Upheld In Federal Court

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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.

Read More: C-Murder Co-Signs NBA YoungBoy, Calls Him His “Soulja Slim Of The New Generation”

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

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

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.

Read More: Kim Kardashian Shares Lengthy Statement On Corey Miller Case

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The post C-Murder’s Murder Conviction Upheld In Federal Court appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

XXXTENTACION Killers Appear Defeated In New Mugshots

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The three men who stood trial in the murder of XXXTENTACION will be spending their remaining days in jail. Judge Michael A. Usan handed down a life sentence with no parole to Trayvon Newsome and Dedrick Williams. Michael Boatwright was hit with two consecutive life sentences. They appeared smug in court but their newly surfaced mugshots suggest that reality is sinking in. Williams, Newsome, and Boatright, who blew a kiss at XXXTENTACION’s family after he was found guilty, look defeated in their latest photos, which you can check out below.

All three were found guilty of robbing and murdering XXXTENTACION. However, the fourth defendant, Robert Allen has yet to be sentenced. Allen pled guilty to second-degree murder as part of an agreement with prosecutors. He came out as the state’s star witness, who also debunked the defense’s conspiracy theories surrounding Drake’s supposed involvement. His testimony ultimately helped prosecutors secure a conviction in the case, though it’s unclear whether he’ll walk or have to serve time.

XXXTENTACION’s Killers Sentenced To Life

During the sentencing, Judge Michael A. Usan condemned them for their actions, explaining that they will only have served their sentence when they’ve “passed on.” “You turned a robbery into a murder. And on that day when you stood there and fired that weapon, you didn’t just end one life. You effectively ended five lives, including your own … You will spend the rest of your life in prison,” Judge Usan said.

X’s manager, Solomon Sobande, shared a statement on behalf of the family following the guilty verdict. “This is a loss we will never truly recover from,” he said. “We will never get to see Jahseh live to his full potential, we will never get to watch him grow old, we will never get to watch him be a father.” Jenesis Sanchez, the mother of XXXXTENTACION’s child, also spoke out, echoing a similar sentiment. “Jah was robbed of his life and Geky was robbed of his father. For this, I will never truly have complete peace but justice being served today helps the healing process.” Check out the mugshots of Boatwright, Newsome, and Williams above. 

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Buffalo Gunman Sentenced To Life Without Parole, Family Member Attempts To Attack Him In Court

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Nine months following the gruesome mass shooting in Buffalo, NY, gunman Payton Gendron has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. The 19-year-old domestic terrorist had killed 10 people during a racially fueled attack of an East Buffalo grocery store. According to the New York Times, Gendron is “an avowed white supremacist.” He specifically targeted the Tops Friendly Market based on its primarily black customer base. All of the deceased victims were black.

Grieving family members testified in front Gendron, who offered an apology for his actions. Sheryl Crawley, the granddaughter of victim Ruth Whitfield, called the gunman “a cowardly racist.” She continued her powerful testimony directed at not only Gendron, but also the larger movement behind his motives. “You recorded the last moments of our loved ones’ lives to garner support for your hateful cause, but you immortalize them instead,” she explained. “We are extremely aware that you are not a lone wolf, but a part of a larger organized network of domestic terrorists. And to that network, we say we as a people are unbreakable.”

A Trial Filled With Raw Emotions

Other family members also spoke out, including Zeneta Everhart whose son Zaire was one of the three surviving victims. She hauntingly told Gendron, “the world says you have to forgive in order to move on. But I stand before you today to say that will never happen.” Gendron’s sentencing had been interrupted twice by emotionally distraught family members. One member of the gallery had lunged at Gendron, but was restrained. Another had interrupted his personal statement by screaming at the defendant. Presiding over the case was Judge Susan Eagan, who acknowledged the anger harboring within the audience, but calmly consoled the court back to order.

Judge Eagan also prepared a statement regarding racism and white supremacy that she read to the courtroom. She referred to the ideologies as an “insidious cancer on our society and nation.” The gunman was merely 18 at the time of his horrific act of terrorism but had thoroughly pre-planned the May 14th attack. Gendron had even gone to the lengths to live-stream the shooting. Allegedly, the killer had previously expressed his desire to commit a school shooting in 2021 but was never flagged for posing a threat. Now, Gendron will be permanently locked behind bars. Judge Eagan told the gunman during trial, “you will never see the light of day as a free man again.”

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Mac Minister Will Remain Behind Bars, Despite Claiming He’s Been Wrongfully Convicted In Double Murder

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Bay Area rapper and convicted killer Mac Minister remain behind bars following a double murder conviction. However, he made a few attempts to get out. The court convicted Andre “Mac Minister” Dow of the murders of two rappers from the Kansas City area, Anthony “Fat Tone” Watkins and Jermaine “Cowboy” Aikens, in retaliation for Mac Dre‘s murder. A jury convicted Dow in 2008 for the murders of Watkins and Aikens. However, Mac Minister continuously claimed that he didn’t receive a fair trial, hoping to overturn his life sentence.

For nearly 15 years, Mac and his legal team have stated that he was wrongfully convicted of the two murders. The rapper’s initial attempt to get the conviction tossed occurred in 2010. But, his legal team saw little success in their effort. They recently filed a motion alleging that he didn’t get a fair trial and claimed the prosecutors withheld key information from the state’s witness. While Mac hoped for the best, the judge shut down the request last month.

Mac Minister Will Remain Behind Bars

Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt ruled against Mac Minister’s motion last month. Minister’s attorneys said the prosecutors failed to provide information on witness Antoine Mouton. However, Judge Leavitt stated that Mac Minister appeared on numerous podcasts from prison where he detailed Mouton’s personal information and his testimony in court. Though Mouton recanted his story in an affidavit, the judge questioned his motives and credibility in changing his testimony. In his latest testimony, he explained that he didn’t know how an affidavit materialized. 

The judge also addressed statements from San Francisco prosecutor Lateef Gray, who similarly stated the prosecutors withheld information about Mouton. However, the judge painted Gray’s information as inaccurate before pointing out that Lateef and Dow grew up in the same neighborhood. Then, there was a statement from ​​Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacom, who admitted to misspeaking on specific dates and timeframes. Ultimately, the judge stated that they haven’t proven prosecutors failed to provide certain information. 

Mac’s attorney, Robert Demarco, expressed his disappointment in the ruling. “I believe that we proved by clear and convincing evidence that 1) Mr. Mouton, 2) his father, and 3) former prosecutor, Lateef Gray, were all credible at the evidentiary hearing and that their testimony was provided free from any undue influence or duress,” DeMarco told 8NewsNow in a statement. “Mr. Dow continues to categorically maintain his factual innocence. I believe in his factual innocence.”

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