Boosie Badazz is currently facing charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was originally charged with the same crime in San Diego Superior Court after being stopped in May.
On Wednesday (June 14), he was able to get that charge dismissed. However, once he left the courtroom, Courthouse News reports, he was arrested again by federal agents for having a firearm in his possession. His lawyers think something doesn’t seem right.
Boosie’s defense lawyer, Meghan Blanco, said her client was being harassed and should’ve been protected by the petite policy. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the petite policy is an internal Justice Department policy that regulates “the initiation of federal prosecutions in two situations.”
“Under the policy,” according to the DOJ, “defendants who are prosecuted by a state will not be prosecuted for federal crimes arising from the same act except when there is compelling federal interest and then only with the approval of an Assistant Attorney General. The policy also prohibits separate prosecutions for different federal offenses committed during the course of a single criminal episode, again, unless an Assistant Attorney General approves.”
The goal is to ensure defendants are not targeted unjustly by law enforcement. Blanco called his arrest “very unusual.”
With this arrest, the court has decided to keep him in custody until Tuesday (June 20). Another lawyer for Boosie, Damon Alimouri, says his client is being singled out because he’s famous, has a big voice online and has used that voice to critique the criminal justice system.
“I think some of this has to do that he’s quote outspoken on social media,” Alimouri said. “Ultimately, Boosie has a First Amendment right.”
And with his first amendment right, he has the right to speak out.