Legal Brief: Contempt, Free Speech, & Art as Evidence

In this episode Cesie's trial has restarted so John and I discuss some of the events surrounding the Georgia RICO case being brought against Young Thug, AKA Jefferey Lamar Williams. I have a LOT of strong opinions about rap lyrics being used as evidence in a criminal case (spoiler alert - I'm against it) and we discuss the difficulties the court and parties have had in trying to select a jury for this high profile case, i.e. potential jurors being held in contempt for a variety of things including calling the judge "a bitch" in open court and failing to show up for jury duty. I also explain to John that our First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech doesn't mean that you can just say whatever you want at any time during court proceedings. This is just the beginning of this case (a jury hasn't even been selected yet) and the trial is expected to last almost a year when and if it starts - so let us know your questions as it goes. (This was supposed to be a mini-episode so we didn't even get to some of the other incidents such as an attorney using the word "cap" when speaking to the Judge and alleged drug possession by another attorney, but we will cover more as the case continues.) Here's a link to the book I mentioned: https://thenewpress.com/books/rap-on-trial As always, our podcast, the statements we make whether in our own media or elsewhere, and any content we post are for entertainment purposes only and do not provide legal advice. Any party consuming our information should consult a lawyer for legal advice. The podcast, our opinions, and our posts, are our own and are not associated with past or present employers, any organizations, Bravo TV, or any other television network. Cesie is admitted to the State Bar of New York. Angela is admitted to the State Bars of Texas, Kansas, and Missouri. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/thebravodocket. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices