Georgia Lawmakers Push Bill To Restrict Use Of Lyrics In Court Cases Due To Young Thug Trial

The bill would set new conditions for lyrics or other artistic material to be used as evidence.

Georgia lawmakers are hoping for a bill to set a new court standard in the aftermath of the RICO trial against Young Thug.

The state politicians introduced House Bill 237 to the floor, wanting to limit the usage of artistic material as evidence in court cases. The push to do so follows the infamous criminal trial, which became the longest-running one in Georgia history. The racketeering case against Young Thug and several other defendants associated with his YSL cohort, saw rap lyrics used as evidence by the prosecution. Moreover, prosecutors used tattoos and social media posts to also defend their case against the rapper and the other defendants.

In light of this and the surrounding controversies the trial faced, a group of Georgia representatives is now pushing for heightened restrictions on artistic materials used for such matters. They have urged to only use such items when deemed relevant and admissible by the court.

“Evidence of a defendant’s creative or artistic expression, whether original or derivative, shall not be received into evidence against such defendant in a criminal proceeding unless such evidence is determined by the court to be relevant and admissible after an offer of proof by the proponent of the evidence outside the hearing of a jury, or such hearing as the court may require, and a statement by the court regarding the findings of fact essential to its determination of admissibility is made part of the record,” detailed the bill, as obtained by WSB-TV.

Moreover, the bill set conditions that the proposed evidence must be in order for its consideration. These include evidence that shows the defendant’s intentions to “adopt the literal meaning of the work as the defendant’s own thought or statement,” as well as a “strong factual nexus” that the exact material specifically refers to the crime alleged.

If allowed, the lyrics or artistic material used, such as other media, dance, or visual art, will also undergo “careful redactions” with “proper instructions” included when presented. However, lawmakers have only introduced the bill thus far. Following previous efforts to do so, it would break new ground for artists in high-profile criminal trials.