Rapper Lil Boosie Indicted for First-Degree Murder

The upcoming rap star Lil Boosie, whose real name is Torrence Hatch, was indicted on Thursday in Baton Rouge on a first-degree murder charge for is alleged involvement shooting incident that happened in October and left one man dead. If he is convicted, he could possibly face the death penalty. He is currently in prison already for a probation violation. Both Lil Boosie and his girlfriend, Walnita Decur, were also indicted on several drug-related charges.

Actor Charlie Sheen Arrested

The actor Charlie Sheen was arrested on Christmas Day on allegations of domestic abuse after police responded to a 911 call from house in a ski resort town in Denver, Colorado because of a domestic violence situation. An ambulance went to the house, but nobody was taken to the hospital. Sheen was taken to Pitkin County jail and booked for investigation of second-degree assault, menacing, and criminal mischief. He was released late in the afternoon after posting a $8,500 bond and being advised by a county judge on the conditions of his release. A court date is set for February 8th. The identity of the person accusing him has not been released but Sheen is currently married to real estate investor Brooke Mueller Sheen since May of 2008. The couple has twin boys that were born in March.

Singer Chris Brown Finally Sentenced

On Tuesday, a judge placed the singer Chris Brown on felony probation for 5 years. He must obey all laws and keep in touch with the Probation Department. He is subject to search and seizure at any time for the next 5 years and can't own any dangerous weapons, including guns and knives. He must also perform 180 days of community labor, which can be performed in Virginia where he is from. He has to complete a 52 week domestic violence program sponsored by the Commonwealth Catholic Charities. He will have to pay $2,500 in restitution and another $2,500 in probation expenses. He has to pay a $30 criminal correction fee and $400 to a domestic violence fund. He also has to go to court every 3 months during his probation.

The judge issued a protective order that will last 5 years where Brown is ordered to not harass, assault, threaten, or molest his ex-girlfriend Rihanna. He is not allowed to have any contact with her, even through a phone or 3rd person. He has to stay at least 100 yards away from her, unless there is an entertainment-related event, then he must stay at least 10 yards away from her.

Rapper T.I. Receives Prison Sentence

On Friday, the rapper T.I. was sentenced to one year and a day in prison on federal weapons charges. He has 30 to 60 days to start his sentence and has completed nearly 1,000 hours of community service while warning children about the negative effects of drugs, guns, and violence. He still needs to complete 470 more hours. He pleaded guilty in court last March after he was arrested in October of 2007 for trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers before his scheduled appearance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.

Don Cornelius from Soul Train Arrested

Don Cornelius from the show “Soul Train” was arrested last night for beating his wife. That evening, someone called the police department from Cornelius' home and the LAPD responded to the domestic dispute. Cornelius was arrested at the scene on charges of felony domestic violence. He was taken to the LAPD jail in Van Nuys. His bail was set at $50,000 and he was released from jail at 5 A.M.

Singer Kelis Acquitted of Charges

Kelis, a singer and wife of rapper Nas, has been acquitted of all charges against her in an incident that happened in Miami where she was accused of disrupting a police operation by going towards the officers screaming racial profanities at them. The incident started when authorities were talking to men in March of 2007 in the South Beach nightclub district and they claim that Kelis rushed towards them and said that one of the men was her husband. She was charged with disorderly conduct while resisting arrest without violence. A jury acquitted her of the charges on Thursday.

Suge Knight Gets Bailed Out of Jail

Marion “Suge” Knight, founder of Death Row Records, was put in jail on Wednesday on assault and drug charges after being accused of beating his girlfriend while brandishing a knife near the Las Vegas Strip. He post $19,000 bail and was scheduled to be released from jail on later in the day on Wednesday with a promise to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court on September 26th.

“Suge” Knight was arrested at 6:40 A.M. in the morning after police was at the scene of a minor traffic accident and found Knight hitting a woman in a parking lot off of a busy thoroughfare. He was on top of her and in the act of violently beating her when police arrived. An officer drew a Taser stun gun as they approached him and he dropped the folding knife that he had. The woman was not stabbed but she was treated at a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening. Knight was arrested and booked into the Clark County jail on felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor charges of possession of dangerous drugs without a prescription, and domestic violence. He had Ecstasy and hydrocodone in his possession when he was arrested. It is not certain whether he or the woman had used drugs or alcohol before the arrest.

NBA Star Dennis Rodman Pleads No Contest to Spousal Battery

The former NBA basketball player Dennis Rodman has decided to plead no contest to a misdemeanor charge of spousal battery in a Superior Court appearance on Tuesday. There were two other counts that were dismissed under a plea deal. He was arrested at a Los Angeles hotel in April after a woman, named Gina Peterson, stated that he struck her during an altercation.

Rodman was sentenced to 45 days of road cleanup work, a year of domestic violence counseling, and three years on probation. He was also warned not to intimidate or use physical force against Peterson.

Rapper Slick Rick Receives Pardon

The New York governor David Paterson is granting the rapper Slick Rick a full and unconditional pardon for the murders of two men that took place in 1991. The pardon will stop the deportation of the rapper back to the United Kingdom, the country Slick Rick left when he was a young child.

Slick Rick had previously served five years in prison for shooting his cousin and another man. Both of the people survived the shooting. The governor says that the rapper has not had any criminal problems since he was released in 1997. He is also a landlord in the Bronx and has volunteered to counsel children against violence.

Rapper Snoop Dogg Allowed Back Into UK

A court overruled the decision not to allow Snoop Dogg a visa to go to the United Kingdom. Since the ban is overturned, he can now travel back to the UK. He was banned from the country after he and five members of his entourage were arrested after an incident at Heathrow airport in 2006. Immigration officials said that his presence in the UK might cause violent crime and last year he was refused a visa for a tour that he was scheduled to do.