Avroman won a civil trial against seven Ohio sheriff’s deputies who sued him for placing the officers in his music video after a 2022 raid on his home.
According to a WCPO report released on Wednesday (March 18), Avroman prevailed in a civil trial against seven Adams County, Ohio, sheriffs who sued the “Because I Got High” rapper for defamation for placing them in several music videos that mocked them after they raided his home in August 2022. A jury found him not guilty of defaming an Ohio police officer.
Afroman has used surveillance footage from his home in several music videos, often poking fun at them, as in the Doo Wop-esque visual for “Lemon Pound Cake,” in which Rhymes mocks a police officer for staring at a lemon pound cake on a table during a raid. Sheriff’s deputies claim the videos racked up millions of views on YouTube and caused massive damage to their reputations.
After the verdict, Afroman gave an emotional speech to reporters outside the court. The 51-year-old artist said his victory was not about himself, but about the importance of free speech.
“I didn’t win,” he declared. “America has won. America still has free speech. It’s still of the people, by the people.”
In August 2022, the Adams County Sheriff’s Department in Ohio served a search warrant on Avroman’s home on suspicion of drugs and kidnapping. However, no charges were filed after authorities searched the home. Avroman later posted surveillance footage of the raid on social media and incorporated it into his music video to help recoup the damage he claimed was caused when police moved through his home. The rapper insisted during the trial that the entire situation was caused by an unfair police search of his home.
“The deputy should never have raided my house in the first place,” he testified. “This whole raid was a mistake… It was all their fault. If they had not raided my house by mistake, there would have been no lawsuit, I wouldn’t have known their names, they wouldn’t have been on my home surveillance system, and there wouldn’t have been a song.”
During the three-day trial, Afroman wore a custom-made American flag suit and matching sunglasses.
“I’m the American dream,” he said of his outfit. “This outfit represents free speech and the American dream. Amen. Praise God.”
Despite his legal issues with local police, Avroman said he will remain a resident of Adams County.
See WCPO 9’s news report: Hear what Afroman has to say after verdict in civil trial
View Avroman’s winning verdict in civil trial against Ohio police
See attorney’s testimony explaining how Afroman’s singing about sleeping with his wife caused him ‘tremendous pain’
Watch Afroman’s “Randy Walters Is a Son of a Bi**h” music video
Watch Afroman’s “Lemon Pound Cake” Music Video
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