| Bronx Drug
Defendant Faces His Rap Lyrics in SDNY
Trial So He Wants $21,000 Settlement In
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Sept 17 – Nicholas Joseph is
charged with narcotics
conspiracy in The Bronx, with
a jury trial now ongoing on
September 17.
U.S. District
Court for the Southern
District of New York Judge P.
Kevin Castel is managing the
proceeding, which Inner City
Press is
covering.
The US
Attorney's Office on July 23
filed a motion in limine
seeking to show the jury some
of Joseph's rap videos
including "gang signs, gang
colors and firearms" - and his
lyrics.
Given the First
Amendment, is this really
necessary?
On August 24 a
proceeding was held and Inner
City Press covered it. Joseph
wants a 2 to 3 week delay,
citing the difficulty of
access at Essex. The US
Attorney's Office opposed.
On September 17,
a cooperator Cruz was in the
witness box, describing being
arrested in Maine in 2019 and
becoming a cooperator to try
to get a time served sentence.
The US Attorney's Office did
play a rap video - which led
the defense to argue to get
into evidence the fact that
the defendant got $21,525 in
settlement money from the
City. Judge Castel told the
prosecutors to reach a
stipulation to let this in.
The trial will continue. Was
the rap showing necessary?
The case is US v.
Joseph, 20-cr-603
(Castel)
***
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