DMX Nixes Plea Bargain

Trouble-prone rapper DMX rejects a plea deal from prosecutors stemming from last month's arrest for some bad driving

By Josh Grossberg Jul 27, 2006 9:15 PMTags

DMX has X-ed out a plea deal from prosecutors in White Plains, New York, stemming from last month's arrest for a series of traffic violations, his attorney, Murray Richman, confirmed Thursday to E! Online.

The Yonkers-born hip-hop hero, whose real name Earl Simmons, was ticketed June 2 after for making unsafe lane changes and driving his 2001 Chevy Suburban at "unreasonable speeds." He was also cited for driving without a license and not wearing a seatbelt.

DMX later failed to turn up for two court hearings on the matter, leading City Court Judge Barbara Leak to issue a warrant for his arrest. The rapper's co-counsel, Stacey Murray, blamed the absence on an illness, but the clearly irritated judge didn't bite and threw DMX in the slammer for a night. The rapper was subsequently released on $25,000 bail.

A chastened DMX showed up on time for a routine court session on Monday. After turning down the plea deal, the Grand Champ spoke to reporters afterward, expressing bewilderment at the case against him.

"I don't feel good about this at all," he said. "It's not fair--$25,000 for traffic tickets? Come on. Let's keep it real."

Richman declined to discuss details of the D.A.'s offer, but when asked whether he expects the case to go to trial, the attorney demurred.

"The probability is not," he told E! Online, adding that he would like to see a settlement reached, if possible, by the time of the next status hearing set for Aug. 21.

In the meantime, DMX, who has a long rap sheet reflecting his bad motoring skills, is preparing to release his latest album, Year of the Dog, Again, dropping next Tuesday.

To hype the release, the 35-year-old entertainer recently turned up at B.B. King's Blues Club in Times Square to perform some new tracks and is scheduled to host a block party in Harlem early next month. And for those who want to experience DMX's reality, BET is now airing the series DMX: Soul of a Man. Buckle up and consider yourselves warned.