{"id":83444,"date":"2022-10-01T03:59:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-01T03:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/california-gov-gavin-newsom-signs-bill-limiting-use-of-rap-lyrics-as-evidence-in-criminal-cases\/"},"modified":"2022-10-01T03:59:00","modified_gmt":"2022-10-01T03:59:00","slug":"california-gov-gavin-newsom-signs-bill-limiting-use-of-rap-lyrics-as-evidence-in-criminal-cases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/california-gov-gavin-newsom-signs-bill-limiting-use-of-rap-lyrics-as-evidence-in-criminal-cases\/","title":{"rendered":"California Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Bill Limiting Use of Rap Lyrics as Evidence in Criminal Cases"},"content":{"rendered":"
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law on Friday the state’s \u201crap lyrics\u201d bill that would limit the admissibility of \u201ccreative content\u201d as evidence in criminal or civil proceedings against an artist or musician in the state, meaning that rappers’ lyrics cannot be used against them as evidence.<\/p>\n

AB 2799 \u2014 or The Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act \u2014 is the first of its kind in the country and comes in response to rappers such as Young Thug, Gunna and many others who in recent months and years have been indicted and seen prosecutors controversially use lyrics from their music as evidence against them. The legislation follows a similar bill in New York that ultimately failed after passing the New York Senate, as well as the federal RAP Act that was introduced in Congress last month.<\/p>\n

The music industry has thrown their weight behind AB 2799 specifically, with the major labels all endorsing it and with RIAA CEO and Chairman Mitch Glazier writing a letter to the California Assembly urging its passage. The bill ultimately passed unanimously.<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/strong>
Rappers’ Own Lyrics Are Putting Them in Jail \u2013 Now the Music Industry Is Fighting Back<\/p>\n

And Newsom’s office on Friday shared in a tweet that rappers such as YG, Killer Mike, Ty Dolla Sign, Tyga, Meek Mill, E-40 and Too Short all threw their weight behind the legislation.<\/p>\n

AB 2799 is not expressly limited to rap lyrics and instead encompasses creative expression more broadly, which is defined in the bill as \u201cforms, sounds, words, movements or symbols.\u201d But the California bill invokes other social science research about racial bias and would require a judge when considering accepting something like lyrics as evidence to weigh the \u201cprobative value of that evidence against the substantial danger of undue prejudice.\u201d It would also past testimony and instances in which creative expression was admitted as evidence.<\/p>\n