DMX Literally Lands in Jail

Rapper arrested upon arrival at Phoenix airport for missing court date related to animal-cruelty, drug-possession case

By Natalie Finn Jul 03, 2008 12:45 AMTags
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DMX is making a point of getting to know the bars everywhere he goes.

The beleaguered rapper was arrested for the third time in two weeks Wednesday when he landed in Phoenix and deplaned right into the cold embrace of an outstanding warrant issued when he, among other things, missed a court hearing.

DMX was flying in from Florida, where he was busted twice last week—on June 23 for driving with an invalid license and then four days later for allegedly trying to purchase marijuana and cocaine from an undercover cop.

Today's bust at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix was for the skipped court appearance, which pertained to his pending animal-cruelty and drug-possession case, and his run-ins with the cops last week, which violated the terms of his bail.

It's possible that the Cradle 2 the Grave star may have pressed his luck one too many times. His lawyer said today that his client could have to remain locked up until his next court date—which might not come for months.

"He was supposed to be in court today in Arizona, but he was picked up as soon as he arrived," DMX's attorney, Murray Richman, told MTV News. "The arrest was a result of him being arrested in Florida. That arrest violated the strict conditions of his $7,500 bond in Arizona, which stated that he could not be arrested while on bail."

DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, pleaded not guilty in May to 11 counts of animal cruelty and drug possession for allegedly mistreating a number of pit bulls found at his Arizona home and having marijuana around the house when the cops showed up to search his property.

"I believed that we had a good, viable defense in that case," Richman said, "but I'm sorry to say that Earl played into their hands when he got arrested for driving without a license and for being in a drug-prone area, which violated the terms of his bail."