SAN DIEGO (CN) — Ricocheting from state to federal court, prosecutors spent more than a year aggressively pursuing a felony gun possession charge against rapper Boosie Badazz. But on Friday, a federal judge in San Diego dismissed the case.
“This situation made me see who was down with me and who wasn’t,” rapper Torrence Hatch Jr., who has also previously been known as Lil Boosie, said outside of a San Diego federal courtroom as he wiped tears from his eyes. “Ninety percent of people thought I was going to prison, but God had a different plan.”
Hatch initially faced state charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm after he was arrested during a traffic stop in May 2023. Police said they found him and a companion with two loaded handguns in their car.
According to prosecutors, a San Diego police officer was reviewing the social media of what they said was a local gang member when he spotted Hatch with the handle of a pistol in his waistband. At the time, Hatch was in San Diego to perform and shoot a music video.
That state charge was dismissed in June 2023 — but as Hatch exited the courtroom, he was arrested by federal agents and handed an identical charge in federal court. U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo, an Obama appointee, presided over the federal case.
The fate of Hatch's case ultimately came down to recent precedent, including a Ninth Circuit opinion this May involving a man named Steven "Shorty" Duarte.
Like Hatch, Duarte was picked up by police for having a gun. Duarte’s case went to trial, where a jury found him guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Duarte appealed, claiming the government violated his Second Amendment rights.
The Ninth Circuit sided with Duarte, agreeing that the government failed to find historical analogues for permanently denying Duarte’s right to have a gun after he had served time in jail for prior non-violent offenses.
The court cited New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down New York's restrictions on carrying concealed guns.
In that case, decided in 2022, the U.S. high court ruled that gun restrictions must be consistent with historical firearm regulations from the 18th and 19th century, when the Second Amendment was first enacted.
In light of the Ninth Circuit's decision, Hatch filed a motion to dismiss his case last month. Like Duarte, Hatch also prevailed.
Meghan Blanco, Hatch’s attorney, said that her client is the second person to have their charges dismissed after the Ninth Circuit ruling in May. Along with thanking his lawyers and God, Hatch also thanked Duarte and offered to take him out to eat.
With his felony charge behind him, Hatch said he planned to take some time to lounge at a local casino resort and visit the South to see his family. He said he also wanted to vacation and perform abroad once he gets his passport back.
Asked if he would ever return to San Diego, Hatch was blunt.
“I don’t think so," he said.
Subscribe to our free newsletters
Our weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.
