Sarah Gilbert — MEI Fellow In the first post in our series on the various RAP Acts around the United States, we analyzed Louisiana’s version which recently was enacted. In this post, we analyze California’s version, which was actually enacted first. In September 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed California Assembly Bill 2799, Jones-Sawyer “Evidence: admissibility of creative expressions,” which had passed both… Continue reading Lyrics on Trial: A Closer Look into California’s Legislation
Category: Criminal Justice Reform
Lyrics on Trial: How the RAP Act and State Laws Aim to Protect Artistic Expression in Court
Sarah Gilbert — MEI Fellow While the public’s attention has been turned to the high-profile case involving Atlanta rapper Young Thug and the chaotic trial proceedings, the issue of using lyrics as evidence in court has sparked significant outrage. Young Thug’s lyrics were cited in a RICO indictment against him and members of his Young Stoner Life collective. Although this… Continue reading Lyrics on Trial: How the RAP Act and State Laws Aim to Protect Artistic Expression in Court