Story Created:
Mar 17, 2010 at 9:07 PM PST
Story Updated:
Mar 18, 2010 at 1:43 AM PST
A judge may decide Monday if a rapper's felony conviction for threatening a coach with a gun after an adult league basketball game can be used against him in a civil damages suit.
Shannon Rodrick claims Jayceon "The Game'' Taylor, 30, punched him and later displayed a handgun at the Rita Walters Learning Complex in South Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 2007, while Rodrick was coaching an opposing team.
Rodrick's March 2008 lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges assault and battery, negligence and civil rights violations.
Taylor pleaded no contest to felony possession of a firearm in a school zone and was released in March 2008 after serving eight days of a 60-day jail sentence. He was ordered to perform 150 hours of community service and spend three years on probation.
Under court rules, evidence of the no-contest criminal plea cannot be directly used to prove damages against Taylor. But evidence rules may allow Rodrick's lawyers to utilize the conviction to impeach Taylor's credibility in the witness stand during the civil trial.
Lonnie J. Brandon, Taylor's attorney, said that the singer did not use a gun, but entered the plea to put the criminal case behind him.
Brandon also said Rodrick initiated the physical confrontation on the ball court because he saw an opportunity to try to make money from it.
"He intentionally provoked my client,'' Brandon said. "We should have sued him.''
The lawyer also said Rodrick should not be able to claim emotional distress because he was robbed eight to 10 times while working at liquor stores. Brandon said Taylor's damages claim from the alleged weapon threat by Taylor is questionable.
According to the suit, Taylor was playing on a City Hoops team, Litem-up, and was losing by double figures to the Rodrick's team, when Taylor approached Rodrick during a timeout and said, "Your team is garbage,'' and "You guys are nothing but a bunch of busters.''
When Rodrick turned around to acknowledge Taylor, the rapper hit him on his left cheek, causing the coach to fall backwards, the suit states.
Taylor left and got a gun from his car, following Rodrick, who followed him outside, the suit states, and threatened "I'm going to blast this fool.'' Rodrick ran back into the gym and hid until Taylor left, the suit states.
Taylor's debut CD, "The Documentary,'' featuring the hit singles, "How We Do'' and "Hate It or Love It,'' earned him two Grammy Award nominations.
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