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Nevada high court: gangsta rap lyrics admissible

ASSOCIATED PRESS
August 22, 2013 - 12:30 pm
 

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Supreme Court says rap lyrics written by a man convicted of killing a Reno drug dealer were allowable evidence at trial because they described details of the crime.

A three-judge panel in a 2-1 decision Thursday upheld the first-degree murder conviction of Deyundrea Orlando Holmes for the 2003 shooting death of Kevin “Mo” Nelson outside a Reno recording studio.

Holmes wasn’t arrested until 2008 after genetic evidence recovered from a cigarette butt gathered at the murder scene matched his DNA. He was convicted and sentenced to life without possible parole.

In his appeal, Holmes argued the trial judge should not have allowed a jury to hear lyrics to a rap song, “Drug Deala,” that he penned in jail while awaiting extradition from California.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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