Boosie Badazz is asking for probation and community service in lieu of “unnecessary incarceration” ahead of sentencing in his federal gun case.
In court documents dated Jan. 5 and viewed by Complex, attorney Meghan Blanco, representing Boosie, makes a detailed argument for why her client should be sentenced to a two-year probationary term with community service.
“[Boosie] is a man who rose from extraordinary adversity, contributed meaningfully to his community, and has taken responsibility for a serious but isolated lapse in judgment,” Blanco writes. “These history and characteristics strongly support a sentence that is individualized, proportional, and oriented toward continued rehabilitation rather than unnecessary incarceration.”
The government, meanwhile, has called for a 24-month sentence (a move they telegraphed late last year), followed by a three-year period of supervised release. While the government concedes that the Louisiana-born Words of a Real One artist has “accepted responsibility” and remained “gainfully employed for many years,” it’s simultaneously argued that this proposed sentence would act as a form of deterrence, both for Boosie himself and others.
In the government’s sentencing memo, dated Jan. 2 and viewed by Complex, it’s also noted that there are “no identifiable victims” in this case, which ultimately saw a grand jury returning an indictment charging Boosie with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Despite the government’s push for 24 months, Boosie’s lawyer argues that the 43-year-old has already been subjected to “significant punishment” in this matter, making probation and community service a more reasonable resolution.
One notable difference between the government and Boosie comes in their interpretation of events surrounding his arrest on the gun charge. In the government's telling, after being pulled over in a traffic stop and arrested for having guns and ammunition in his car, Boosie "yelled and continually
threatened the safety of his security detail." Per the government's sentencing memo, he said, "I’m going to put 10K on your head; I’m going to put you in a body bag; I’m going to kick your ass; I’m going to kill you; and you’re going to leave in a body bag."
Blanco has a different interpretation, saying that the rapper's alleged outburst was not mentioned in the initial police report, and there are no audio or video recordings of the comments. In addition, she says that Boosie, who is diabetic, was experiencing low blood sugar during the stop, and that low blood sugar can cause "confusion, agitation, impaired judgment, and emotional dysregulation, particularly when untreated."
As reported last year, sentencing is currently set for Friday (Jan. 9), marking a delay from the previously announced date of Nov. 21 of last year. Amid coverage of the date change, Boosie expressed confidence about the impending sentence in a Breakfast Club interview, though he’s “prepared” for any possible outcome.