California legislature passes bill limiting use of rap lyrics in trial, goes to Governor for signature
thefader.comThe legislature of the State of California has voted to adopt AB 2799, a bill that would limit the use of rap lyrics as evidence in a trial, as Billboard reports.
It now heads to the desk of Governor Gavin Newson, who is reportedly expected to sign the bill. If enacted into law, AB 2799 would prevent the citation of lyrics during a trial unless prosecutors can prove their relevance to the case and assure the court that bringing the lyrics into the trial will not “inject racial bias into the proceedings.” The court would also be required to consider hearing testimony from experts in the genre of music being cited.
The bill's author, Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, discussed the bill and its motivations in a statement shared with Pitchfork on Monday..
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