Bobby Shmurda has been sitting behind bars since December 2014, and from the looks of things, he won’t be a free man anytime soon. Yesterday, the 21 year old “Hot N*gga” rapper appeared in court and was denied yet another bail package, making this the seventh time. The judge also refused to lower Shmurda’s $2 million bail.
New York City judge Abraham Clott told the court he sees “no substantive change” in Shmurda and is “satisfied that the case is extraordinarily serious.” Shmurda’s new lawyer, Alex Shiro, told The Fader that the Brooklyn rapper and his family are “frustrated” and have been raising questions regarding why he isn’t being helped.
During the hearing, Shiro argued that Shmurda’s bail was set extremely high and is solely based on a preconceived notion that the rapper is worth millions. However, a 2014 tax return from Sony revealed that he is worth $427,000. Shiro also argued that Shmurda is not a flight risk, and has no intentions of going on the run if he was released because “he has no passport, let alone has never been outside the country.”
At the last hearing, Shiro questioned the credibility of some of the officers involved in the case, and continued to do so yesterday. He also argued that it is “unconscionable” to hold a “black teenager with no criminal record [and] no warrant history” for so long with such a high bail. Judge Clott immediately brought up some of Shmurda’s troubles since while in prison including an knife smuggling incident that occurred between Shmurda and his girlfriend during a visit.
After the hearing, Shmurda’s mother, Leslie Pollard spoke with reporters stating, “There’s no evidence to have him there. Everything that the DA is stating is somebody else’s business, not Ackquille’s business. It’s bullsh-t. It’s because of who he is.”
Shmurda is due back in court on February 16.
