A month after being acquitted of murderDrakeo The Ruler is once again staring at the possibility of life behind bars.

On Tuesday (Sept. 3), John Hamasaki, a lawyer for Drakeo's case, confirmed to XXL that the rapper will be retried for criminal street gang conspiracy and shooting from a moving vehicle. For the former charge, he faces 25 years to life in prison. For the latter, he faces life.

Drakeo, born Darrell Caldwell, has been behind bars since being arrested on several felony charges on Jan. 6, 2018. Prosecutors allege that the rapper plotted to murder Los Angeles rapper RJMRLa at a Dec. 10, 2016 event. Twenty-four-year-old Davion Gregory was killed instead. It's unclear whether or not Gregory was an intended target or an innocent bystander.

On July 25, Drakeo was acquitted of murder but convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon with priors. The District Attorney's Office believes the rapper procured the weapons meant to be used in the fatal shooting. The jury was left hung with the criminal street gang conspiracy and shooting from a motor vehicle with gun and gang charges.

Drakeo's lawyer is disappointed with the news of the impending retrial because he believed the two other charges against the California rapper would get dismissed. Hamasaki says the legal struggles the rapper has faced have been part of a lengthy plan to put Drakeo behind bars.

"The Los Angeles District Attorney and Sheriff's Department spent years and presumably millions of dollars trying to imprison Drakeo for life," Hamasaki says. "For them, this has never been about the murder, the victim, or his family, it is simply about silencing the powerful voice of a young Black man from South Central. He should have never had to go through the first trial, much less a retrial."

Hamasaki is having a hearing to bring the motion to have the two charges dismissed on Oct. 3, but he thinks Drakeo, who previously told XXL that police were jealous of himself and Meek Mill, has faced considerable unfairness in this case.

"Still, every day that Drakeo spends in custody beyond today is a grave injustice," Hamasaki affirms. "His family, friends, and young son were in court hoping to hear that Drakeo was coming home. The last-minute news that they were going to retry him was devastating to everyone. The prosecution may consider this a 'win' for them, but I guarantee it will be short-lived."

In a series of tweets after the news was reported, Drakeo echoed his lawyer's sentiments. "THEY DONT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THE VICTIM FAMILY, IT BEEN ABOUT ME FROM THE JUMP!," he wrote in one tweet.

Drakeo's fellow Stinc Team members Mikell Buchanan (a.k.a. Kellz) and Devante Caldwell (a.k.a. Ralfy The Plug) were also hit serious convictions. Buchanan was convicted of murder in the 1st degree with special circumstances of lying in wait, shooting from a motor vehicle and active participant in a criminal street gang along with gun and gang allegations. He was also convicted of five counts of willful, deliberate and premeditated attempted murder with gun and gang allegations as well as multiple counts of possession of a firearm by a felon with priors.

Meanwhile, Devante Caldwell was convicted of multiple theft-related offenses along with gang allegations as well as two counts of possession of an assault weapon.

Read the entirety of Hamasaki's statement for yourself below:

"The Los Angeles District Attorney and Sheriff's Department spent years and presumably millions of dollars trying to imprison Drakeo for life. For them, this has never been about the murder, the victim, or his family, it is simply about silencing the powerful voice of a young black man from South Central. He should have never had to go through the first trial, much less a retrial.

The two counts that hung were both 10-2 for acquittal until the last vote. After the last jury vote, the final tally was 10-2 for acquittal on the shooting from a moving vehicle, and 7-5 for acquittal on the criminal gang conspiracy count.

I think everyone expected the District Attorney's Office to do the right thing and dismiss the remaining two counts today. Instead, they showed the same poor judgment, ethical elasticity, and cowardice that has defined this prosecution and trial. Standing between out-of-control law enforcement is our system of trial by a jury of ordinary citizens. Our last jury resoundingly rejected the conspiracy theories put forth by the prosecution, I fully expect the next jury to do the same.

We will be holding a hearing on our motion to dismiss the remaining counts on October 3, 2019. I am optimistic that the judge will take a more balanced view of the case and dismiss the remaining counts.

Still, every day that Drakeo spends in custody beyond today is a grave injustice. His family, friends, and young son were in court hoping to hear that Drakeo was coming home. The last-minute news that they were going to retry him was devastating to everyone. The prosecution may consider this a "win" for them, but I guarantee it will be short-lived."

 

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