A Fugitive from Justice

Today I was excused from the jury in the murder trial of gangsta rapper "Dolla."

Here's some information on his slaying last May from AllHipHop.com:

The man killed during a high-profile shooting at the Beverley Center in Beverley Hills, California today was Atlanta rapper Dolla, sources have confirmed with AllHipHop.com.

Dolla, born Roderick Anthony Burton II, hailed from East Atlanta and Los Angeles. He was signed to Akon’s Konvict Muzik imprint.

The rapper was shot and killed shortly after 3:00 PM near the La Cienga Boulevard entrance, after a fight between a group of individuals broke out.

Witnesses report that a woman was seen firing a handgun. Another source said a male suspect was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport as he attempted to board a flight.

Dolla was originally a member of Hip-Hop group Da Razkals Cru, before he landed a gig for Sean “Diddy” Combs as a model for Sean John.

Dolla had gained a buzz via his track "Who The Heck Is That?" which featured T-Pain and Tay Dizm.

The rapper was reportedly working on his debut solo album titled a Dolla & A Dream.


The defendant in the case, a different "rap artist," was arrested at LAX a few hours after the shooting with a semi-automatic weapon in his undershorts.

I can't say I'm upset about not being on the jury for what the judge said would be a two-week trial.

The defense attorney didn't seem to like it when I challenged his suggestion that it's OK for jury selection to go on as long as necessary to secure a fair jury. I said there was a point at which it would simply be dragging it out.

I was the first juror excused by the judge (other than a few jurors who were excused for extreme hardships). It took me all of thirty seconds to get out of the courtroom.