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The Grammy-nominated rapper Afroman won a defamation suit filed by 7 Ohio sheriff's deputies who sued him over euphony videos successful which helium utilized location information footage to mock their raid of his home.
"We did it, America! Yeah, we did it! Freedom of speech! Right on! Right on!" the 51-year-old rapper, calved Joseph Foreman, shouted extracurricular the courthouse aft the Wednesday evening verdict. He aboriginal posted the clip to societal media.
The lawsuit tested the limits of parody and the licence artists tin instrumentality successful societal commentary directed astatine nationalist figures. The deputies, collectively, sought astir $4 cardinal successful damages.
"No tenable idiosyncratic would expect a constabulary serviceman not to beryllium criticized. They've been called names before," defence lawyer David Osborne said successful closing arguments for the rapper and comedian, known for his breakout 2000 hit, "Because I Got High."
The Adams County deputies said they were publically harassed implicit the viral videos, which were viewed much than 3 cardinal times connected YouTube. The videos amusement rifle-wielding deputies busting down Afroman's door, searching his shoes and suit pockets, and hungrily eyeing a barroom connected the room table, inspiring 1 song's title, "Lemon Pound Cake."
In different euphony videos, Afroman took purpose astatine the deputies' idiosyncratic lives and called them "crooked cops" due to the fact that of $400 that went missing successful the raid.
"Police officers shouldn't beryllium stealing civilians' money," the rapper testified this week. "This full happening is an outrage."
In tribunal — wearing a red, achromatic and bluish American emblem suit — helium defended his enactment connected First Amendment grounds and said helium issued the diss tracks to screen damages from the raid, including a breached gross and beforehand door.
"In each circumstances, the assemblage finds successful favour of the defendant; nary plaintiff verdict prevailed," said Judge Jonathan Hein, who presided implicit the case, CBS affiliate WKRC-TV reported.
Afroman cried aft the verdict was announced, the presumption reported.
Afroman performs connected signifier astatine the Snoop Dogg Puff Puff Pass Tour astatine Hard Rock Event Center successful Hollywood, Florida, connected December 20, 2018.
Johnny Louis / Getty Images
No charges were filed implicit the 2022 raid, which the warrant said was portion of a cause and kidnapping investigation. In his testimony, helium said helium had the close to archer his friends and fans what constabulary had done. He said the raid traumatized his children, past 10 and 12.
Afroman was not astatine his location during the search, but his woman was contiguous and recorded parts of the hunt connected her phone.
Videos posted by Afroman connected societal media showed constabulary breaking down his doorway arsenic they entered the location wielding weapons.
"The full raid was a mistake. All of this is their fault. If they hadn't person wrongly raided my house, determination would beryllium nary lawsuit. I would not cognize their names," Foreman said. "They wouldn't beryllium connected my location surveillance system, and determination would beryllium nary songs, nothing."
The lyrics of "Will You Help Me Repair My Door?" code the constabulary directly: "Did you find what you were looking for/ Would you similar a portion of citrus lb cake/ You tin instrumentality arsenic overmuch arsenic you privation to take/ There indispensable beryllium a large mistake."
The video slows down, showing an serviceman holding a weapon next to a barroom stand successful Afroman's kitchen.
Then helium raps: "The warrant said, 'Narcotics and kidnapping'/ Are you kidding? I marque my wealth rapping," and "You crooked cops request to halt it/ There are nary kidnapping victims successful my suit pockets," arsenic a video shows the officers searching his closet.
The deputies, successful their testimony, said the songs ridiculed them. Deputy Lisa Phillips said the rapper created a "derogatory" euphony video that questioned her sex and sexuality.
Sgt. Randy Walters said his kid had been hazed astatine schoolhouse implicit Afroman's posts and came location crying.
"Where successful the satellite is it OK to marque thing up for amusive that's damaging to others erstwhile you cognize for definite it's an implicit lie?" helium asked.
Afroman's lawyer, successful closing arguments, said it was not antithetic for artists engaged successful societal commentary to exaggerate. Robert Klingler, representing the deputies, said Afroman lied astir "these 7 brave lawman sheriffs" for the past 3 years.
"Even if idiosyncratic does thing to you that hurts you, that you deliberation is incorrect — similar a hunt warrant execution that you deliberation is unfair ... that doesn't warrant telling intentional lies designed to wounded people," helium argued.
Afroman lives successful Winchester, astir 50 miles extracurricular of Cincinnati.
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