Juggalos have had it tough recently. For those of you who are unaware, Juggalos are the fans of a rap group called the Insane Clown Posse (ICP). ICP's lyrics allegedly have incited violent attacks against victims. Juggalos claim that the acts of a few crazed people should not be imputed to all of them.
The government already has labeled the Juggalos as a "gang" subject to increased surveillance under the National Gang Threat Assessment. Now, it appears as though courts might treat the group differently as well.
This case involves a Tennessee man and self-professed Juggalo who was convicted of using a hatchet to murder a middle-aged woman who was hosting him in her home in 2007. On appeal, he is claiming that testimony from police explaining the alleged violent propensities of Juggalos was irrelevant and unfairly prejudicial. The State argues that the evidence was directly relevant to the motive for the killing, which was described as completing a challenge posed by the lyrics of the song which would result in achieving a spiritual goal desired by devout Juggalos.
The appeals court held that the conviction would stand irrespective of the testimony. The defendant may still appeal to the state supreme court or seek post-conviction relief.
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