You can’t accuse Bobby Shmurda of not being persistent.
The “Hot Ni–a” rapper appeared in court yesterday to make his case for bail for the seventh time since his December 2014 arrest on weapons and murder charges and reasoned with presiding judge Abraham Clott that his bail was too high.
Shmurda’s attorney, Alex Spiro, argued that the $2 million bail currently hanging over the rapper’s head should be lowered because his net worth is far below the $20 million amount that the bail was originally based upon. According to the 2014 tax return of Sony, the home company of Shmurda’s label, Epic Records, the 21-year-old rapper is only worth approximately $427K.
Spiro also pleaded to the judge that Shmurda was being targeted by authorities because of his rising status as a rapper, calling it “unconscionable” to hold a “Black teenager with no criminal record [and] no warrant history” such as Shmurda behind bars.
The prosecuting attorney in the case, Nigel Farina, however, says Spiro is attempting to draw attention away from the basic facts of the case.
“Mr. Spiro would like to talk about everything except what this case is about,” Farina asserted. “This case is not about race. It’s about murder. It’s about gun play and shootings.”
Judge Clott agreed with Farina and stated that Shmurda is lucky the bail has not been increased because of trouble he’s gotten into while locked up, including his girlfriend attempting to smuggle a knife into the jail for him and his involvement in a jail house brawl.
“To the extent that there have been any changes in the circumstances involved, they would all appear to support an increase in bail,” Clott told Shmurda and Spiro before denying the motion for bail.
Shmurda is now due back in court on February 16.
