SHORT TAKES : NWA Beats the Rap on Appeal
CINCINNATI — A state appeals court overturned the disorderly conduct convictions of three members of the group NWA for asking women in a concert audience if they wanted to have sex with rapper Eric (Eazy-E) Wright.
The court Wednesday said there was no evidence the group’s behavior at the 1989 show recklessly inconvenienced, annoyed or alarmed anyone--the standard under Ohio law.
All five members of NWA had been charged. Lorenzo (M.C. Ren) Patterson, Oshea (Ice Cube) Jackson and Todd (Too-Short) Shaw were convicted and fined $100 each. Wright was acquitted, and Antoine Carraby is awaiting trial.
The ruling Wednesday was the second obscenity defeat for city prosecutors in the past two months.
In October, jurors rejected obscenity charges involving the Contemporary Arts Center’s display of photos by Robert Mapplethorpe.
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