C.A. 3rd;
C075295

The Third Appellate District affirmed a judgment of conviction. In the published portion of its opinion, the court held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting an accused murderer's handwritten rap lyrics describing a shooting strikingly similar to the actual crime.

Upon encountering Joseph Montoya outside an acquaintance's home, Ravinesh Singh walked up to Montoya and shot him four times, in the face, in the gut, and twice in the groin. Singh explained to witnesses that Montoya had participated in a drive-by shooting several years earlier in which Montoya's cousin and his dog were both shot. Following Singh's arrest, a search of his home uncovered handwritten rap lyrics that described shooting someone to death. Various lyrics read, “two to the gut, watch you shut your eyes slow.,” “I shoot for fun just to watch niggas shake like they goin' dumb. Put two in your chest, now you goin' numb,” “the clip holds about a million. Put it in your face and melts in your mouth like an M&M.” Over Singh's objection, the court admitted the lyrics at Singh's jury trial. Singh was convicted of first degree murder.