Jury selection is underway for the man who prosecutors allege Yella Beezy paid to murder Mo3 in 2020.
On Monday (Aug. 24), Beezy appeared in court as jury selection began for Kewon White’s murder-for-hire trial. Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth reports they have a pool of 77 prospective jurors, and plan to narrow it down to a panel of 12.
Both Beezy and White are facing a capital murder charge for the matter, with Beezy accused of orchestrating the 2020 killing following a long-standing feud. Authorities allege he paid White to carry out the shooting, which happened on Dallas’ I-35. A third defendant, Devin Brown, is also charged with capital murder. Prosecutors allege he was in the car with White and was seen in surveillance video walking up to Mo3’s car while wearing a ski mask.
Just weeks ahead of the trial, Judge Chika Anyiam ruled that some lyrics can be used in the courtroom, following multiple days of arguments from both sides. According to Fox 4, a few of the songs proposed by the prosecution to be presented during the trial stage include Mo3’s “2 Nineteen,” which references the shooting of Roylee Pate, Yella Beezy’s “Keep It in the Streets” and portions of Beezy’s “On Ya Head.”
The judge will also allow prosecutors to introduce relevant social media posts from Beezy and Mo3, as well as a 2019 interview that Beezy did with VladTV, and evidence about the 2017 assault of Mo3 associate Roylee Pate and the 2018 shooting that wounded Yella Beezy.
In the same ruling, Judge Anyiam also decided that White’s trial will precede Beezy’s. A trial date has not yet been confirmed for the rapper.
And though some lyrics can be used, Judge Anyiam denied prosecution’s attempt to use a Dallas detective to serve as an expert witness on the music during a pretrial hearing last Friday (Aug. 21). That ruling could make it harder for prosecutors to use Beezy’s rap lyrics as evidence that he put a bounty on Mo3, a development that could be a welcome one for his defense team.
In a July hearing, Beezy’s attorneys argued against allowing the lyrics to be used, calling on a University of Richmond professor who has spent years studying the use of rap lyrics in criminal cases to back up their argument.
Dr. Erik Nielson testified that people tend to interpret rap lyrics as more literal when they are presented as rap rather than another genre of music. Citing one study, he said that lyrics can sound like “a straight confession” when artists say they “did this or did that,” adding that using lyrics this way could potentially send people to prison for crimes they didn’t commit.
Prosecutors, however, have argued that their case against Beezy goes well beyond his music, pointing to witness statements, physical evidence, wiretaps, the aforementioned social media posts and more.
Opening statements and testimony are expected to begin as early as Tuesday (Aug. 25).
Check out footage of Yella Beezy in court for jury selection in Kewon White’s case below.
See Footage of Yella Beezy in Court for Jury Selection
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