LAS VEGAS.- A former Los Angeles-area gang leader may not be released from prison prison of Las Vegas prior to its judgment for the 1996 murder of music legend Tupac Shakurdespite a hip hop executive trying to pay his bail of 750,000 dollars.
A Nevada judge has rejected the possibility of house arrest with electronic monitoring for Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 61, saying she was not satisfied with assurances that Davis and his would-be benefactor, Cash “Wack 100” Jones, would not seek to profit from the sale of Davis’ life story.
A Nevada law prohibits convicted murderers from profiting from their crime.
Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny said in her ruling Wednesday that a review of Jones’ financial records also did not dispel her doubts that Jones could be a: “‘front’ or ‘middleman.’ for the real bond cartel.”
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Davis has sought release since shortly after his arrest last September that made him the only person charged in the murder, which has attracted intense interest and speculation for 27 years.
Prosecutors allege that the Las Vegas shooting that killed Shakur was fueled by competition between East Coast members of the Bloods gang group and the West Coast Crips gang group, including Davis, for dominance in a musical genre known at the time as gangsta rap.
Davis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. His trial is scheduled for November 4. If he is found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
After a 45-minute hearing Tuesday, Kierny said he was left with more questions than answers after Davis’ legal team attempted to prove the origin of the funds.
Prosecutors have argued that Davis intends to profit from retelling his story about Shakur’s murder and played a recording of a jailhouse phone call in which Jones describes to Davis a plan to produce 30 to 40 episodes of a show based on his life story.
“It is illegal to benefit from this crime,” prosecutor Binu Palal told the judge. Palal did not respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday on the judge’s decision.
Jones, a record executive who has managed hip hop artists such as Johnathan ‘Blueface’ Porter and Jayceon ‘The Game’ Taylor, testified under oath Tuesday by video from an unspecified location in California. He said he posted 15% of the bail amount, or $112,500, as a gift from his business accounts to secure Davis’ release.
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Davis’ attorney, Carl Arnold, did not respond to emails or phone calls to his office seeking comment Wednesday. A spokesman for Arnold had no comment when reached by email.
The judge said in Wednesday’s two-page order that she was not convinced the bail money would be paid: “with Mr. Davis’ earnings speaking of the murder of the victim in this case.”
While Jones testified that he wanted to help Davis because Davis was battling cancer and “had been a pillar of the community,” previous interviews “suggested another motive,” Kierney wrote.
He said Jones indicated there were “stipulations” in the bail and “that Mr. Davis would sign a contract regarding the rights to his life story, apparently including the shooting of Mr. Shakur.” He said that was backed up by a recorded jail phone call when Jones “insisted that a contract be signed before the bail premium was paid.”
FUENTE: AP
