Afroman lawsuit blazes on: Here's what lawyers, deputies discussed at 4/20 hearing
Adams County sheriff's deputies' lawsuit against Afroman advanced Thursday, putting legal proceedings on the rapper's 4/20 agenda.
Early Thursday, which also happens to be a stoner-loved holiday, lawyers representing the "Because I Got High" rapper had a pretrial phone call and scheduling conference with the deputies' attorney and Adams County Judge Jerry McBride. The hearing was the latest development in officers' lawsuit against Afroman after the Winchester, Ohio, resident used their images in music videos and merchandise following a raid on his home.
Afroman, whose real name is Joseph Foreman, has continued to promote the videos and merchandise and post jokes about the deputies online, which could have future implications on the suit. Here's what we know.
Afroman lawsuit: Ohio deputies sue Afroman for using their likeness in music videos. Rapper responds
Strictly Legal: Do the cops who sued Afroman have a case?
What happened during Thursday's pretrial call
The Enquirer spoke to Bruce Rivers, a criminal defense lawyer in Minneapolis representing Afroman, after Thursday's hearing.
Rivers said Robert Klingler, the Cincinnati attorney representing the deputies, said he will amend the officers' complaint to include new evidence since Afroman has continued promoting the merchandise on social media. Klingler has until May 9 to amend the complaint.
"We filed a motion to dismiss (the lawsuit) because we don't think it's right that somebody should be limited in their speech the way they want to limit his speech," Rivers said.
The lawyer said he hasn't advised Afroman to stop posting about the deputies, adding: "He's a free spirit. He's gonna do what he wants to do."
Arthur West, a First Amendment rights advocate and Afroman fan who lives in Olympia, Washington, attempted to intervene in the lawsuit, according to court documents. West told The Enquirer the judge denied his motion Thursday, but granted him amicus curiae status, which means he will be able to submit briefs about the suit to the court.
The next scheduling hearing for the suit is June 8, Rivers said.
Afroman did not participate in the hearing. The rapper is slated to perform in Vancouver, Canada, tonight, according to his website.
The Enquirer reached out to Klingler and Afroman's other attorney Tyler Cantrell, but did not hear back.
Politics: Afroman announces 2024 presidential bid and, no surprise, wants to decriminalize cannabis
Crime: Investigators say deputies miscounted, Afroman not missing money from raid
Adams County officers sued Afroman March 13
Adams County Deputies Shawn Cooley, Justin Cooley, Shawn Grooms and Lisa Phillips, Sgts. Michael Estep and Randolph Walters Jr. and detective Sgt. Brian Newland sued the rapper, his company Hungry Hustler Records; Media Access, Inc., a Texas-based record company, and three unidentified businesses last month.
The officers claim Afroman used and profited from their likeness without their permission when he used footage from the deputies' raid on his home in music videos and T-shirts. According to the complaint, the footage was recorded by Afroman's wife during the raid. Security cameras in the couple's home also captured video of the raid.
The artist later used this footage in multiple music videos, including "Lemon Pound Cake" and "Will You Help Me Repair My Door," which poked fun at the deputies. As a result, the deputies say they've suffered embarrassment, ridicule and death threats.
The suit identifies one count of unauthorized use of the deputies' likeness and three counts of invading their privacy. Deputies are seeking profits Afroman made from using their likeness and an order that would prevent the artist from continuing to use their images.
"They just want him to stop talking about them and I don't think that's gonna happen," Rivers said Thursday.
Afroman previously accused sheriff's deputies of stealing his money
Deputies said they seized $5,031 in cash from Afroman's Ohio home while executing a search warrant in August because they believed the money was connected to drug trafficking. No charges were filed against the rapper, and the money was returned to him in late November, minus $400.
Afroman accused deputies of stealing the money on social media. However, an investigation by the Clermont County Sheriff's Office found the correct amount of money was returned to him, and that Adams County deputies had miscounted the seized funds.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Afroman lawsuit: What Ohio deputies, lawyers discussed at 4/20 hearing
