Feb 01, 2016
Words by Wil Lewellyn
Hip-hop artist Lil Reese finds himself in front of a whole new audience today, as it’s the Chi-town big day in court. The rapper was arrested on Saturday and is being charged with criminal contempt, and has been held in Cook County prison without bail.
Reese, whose real name is Tavares Taylor, has lauded the lifestyle portrayed in lyrics of songs like “That’s What's Up.” While gangsta rap these days tends toward more fiction than fact, his criminal history might suggest otherwise - among other charges, Taylor was arrested for felony possession of a fire arm in 2014, then twice in 2013 for theft and possession of marijuana.
Indirect criminal contempt occurs not in the presence of a judge, but degrades, obstructs or embarrasses the administration of justice, a rather vague charge. Criminal contempt is punitive and seeks to deter future acts of contempt by punishing the offender regardless of what happens in the underlying proceeding.
Check back for updates on the preliminary ruling.