On Wednesday (March 13), NBA YoungBoy‘s federal gun case was put on hold by U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick. The rapper was initially expected to appear in court later this July.
According to court documents, the Louisiana judge said the trial is likely to be delayed in light of the Supreme Court’s looming decision this spring on the Second Amendment. The ruling could significantly affect the trial’s outcome, especially given the questions surrounding self-defense in NBA YoungBoy’s case.
Due to him being a convicted felon and facing a charge for aggravated assault with a firearm in 2017, he ended up violating the long-standing federal law that bans convicted felons from possessing guns.
In a motion filed last month, the rapper’s attorneys argued that his latest charges — which stem from a September 2020 incident that ended with being charged for unlawful possession of a firearm — are unconstitutional and violate the 24-year-old’s right to “keep and bear arms.”
“This prosecution seeks to restrict and deny Mr. Gaulden’s Second Amendment right to possess a firearm based solely on his status a felon and his alleged failure to comply with bureaucratic regulations,” the rapper’s attorneys told the judge.
YoungBoy was placed in jail in April 2021 and released seven months later in October 2022. He was subsequently placed on house arrest at his Utah residence, where he has been since.