Drake Won't Be Questioned in XXXTentacion Murder Trial

A Florida judge has determined that Canadian rapper Drake won't be deposed during the murder trial of three men accused of shooting and killing XXXTentacion (real name Jahseh Onfroy) outside a motorcycle dealership last June.

Michael Boatwright, Trayvon Newsome and Dedrick Williams are all on trial for the murder of XXXTentacion during a botched robbery. A fourth suspect, Robert Allen, recently accepted a plea deal and testified against all three defendants.

Attorney Mauricio Padilla Explains Why Drake Won’t Be Questioned

Defense attorneys in the XXXTentacion murder trial have been pressing for Drake to testify. The Toronto rapper, real name Aubrey Drake Graham, had an ongoing dispute with XXX and his attorney believes Drizzy should provide insight into what went wrong during trial.

Judge Michael A. Usan, who is overseeing XXXTentacion's trial in Florida, rejected that request and instead granted Drake his motion to avoid taking a deposition later this month.

According to TMZ, Usan ruled that Drake's presence would only add another layer of celebrity and notoriety to the case. She therefore invalidated Padilla's previous order allowing Drake to come in and answer questions regarding the matter.

On Thursday, Padilla sought the court's permission for Drake to attend his scheduled deposition. But Usan ruled that Drake's request to be served was "unreasonable and oppressive."

He cautioned that the rapper may still be under investigation due to his relationship with Williams, one of the suspects in the case. All three men are accused of first-degree murder and robbery in the death of XXXTentacion - then known as Jahseh Onfroy - from their residence in Miami.

Homicide occurred outside a motorcycle dealership in Pompano Beach, Florida. A jury will soon decide whether Boatwright, Newsome, and Williams are guilty of killing the young star. If convicted of first-degree murder they all face life in prison.

At the start of this year, a former codefendant in the case testified that Drizzy did not provide any money to the murderers. In his testimony, Allen put to rest any speculations that Canadian rapper might have been involved with XXXTentacion's death.

In addition to Allen's testimony, a family friend of the deceased rapper testified that XXXTentacion was with him when he was shot and killed during an apparent robbery. This witness expressed shock that 20-year-old rapper had been taken advantage of in such a senseless act.

Next week, a jury is expected to start hearing evidence in XXXTentacion's case. Testimony from friends and family members including his cousin Kerr will be included during the trial.

Drake’s Lawyer Says He Has No Relevant Insight

Drake's lawyer has denied having any relevant insight into the case as his murder trial begins. TMZ reports that Drake's legal team has filed a motion to set aside the judge's order for him to give a deposition in the proceeding. They maintain there is no reason for them to believe he has any information related to the death of the late artist.

On June 18, 2018, XXXTentacion tragically passed away during an apparent robbery outside a Florida motorcycle store. He was wearing an eye patch and carrying cash when three suspects -- Michael Boatwright, Trayvon Newsome and Dedrick Williams -- are accused of robbing and killing the 20-year-old rapper.

At trial, prosecutors presented various theories about what happened. They claimed Boatwright, Newsome and Williams were all present at the motorcycle store when XXXTentacion was shot and killed. But they also pointed the finger at another man who they claim was seen on surveillance footage talking to Boatwright inside of the store just before he was fatally shot; this person has a distinctive facial tattoo and can be identified by his build, according to prosecutors.

Witnesses attested that XXXTentacion had $50,000 in his purse when he was shot, which prosecutors believe to be evidence that he intended to murder Boatwright, Newsome and Williams.

Prosecutors aren't the only ones who think Drake may have been involved in this case. Defense attorneys have begun investigating whether Drake was also at fault, based on an Instagram Story he posted one year before the rapper passed away.

However, the defense lawyers weren't persuaded that Drake should take a deposition and they weren't sure that it would have any bearing on their case. Instead, Drake's attorneys maintained that he was being drawn into the case simply to add "layers of celebrity and notoriety" to an already tragic incident.

Padilla Says It’s Time for the Jury to Decide

According to TMZ, a Florida judge has apparently decided that Drake does not need to take a deposition over the murder of XXXTentacion, accepting his attorneys' arguments that there was no connection between them and the case. Judge Michael Usan appeared to agree with Drake's attorneys when he signed off on an order nullifying any subpoena which would have required answers about X's passing.

This ruling comes in response to an effort by XXXTentacion's defense attorney to require Drake to prove his relationship with the late musician. He had listed Drake on a list of potential witnesses in December, leading to speculation that Drake had something to do with X's murder.

Rumors of Drake being involved in X's murder began after an allegedly deleted Instagram post made by X in 2018 which stated "if anyone tries to kill me it will be @champagnepapi." This statement came amid a longstanding feud between XXXTentacion and Drake that began back in 2017. Despite all the drama, there is no proof proving any connection between X and Drake.

Padilla also reported that Drake's security guards physically "kicked" process servers when they attempted to serve a deposition at his California home on Valentine's Day (February 14). According to legal documents uploaded to Twitter by Los Angeles Magazine reporter Meghann Cuniff, Padilla wrote that the guards were "apparently" refusing to accept the document.

Though Drake's victory is a major one, Padilla still has the option of deposing him at some point in the case. While Drake's lawyers argue that they lack relevant information to add to the case, that doesn't guarantee a second deposition for another reason.

Even if he confesses, Padilla insists it's still too early to judge whether he is guilty or not; that decision must be left up to the jury.

On June 18, 2018, XXXTentacion and three men he accused of killing him - Michael Boatwright, Trayvon Newsome and Williams - were involved in shooting outside RIVA Motorsports in Fort Lauderdale. If found guilty, these individuals could face life in prison.

Drake’s Lawyer Says It’s Time for the Jury to Decide

In Florida, the trial for XXXTentacion's murder is underway and a jury is expected to be selected soon. This jury will decide if Michael Boatwright, Trayvon Newsome and Dedrick Williams--three co-defendants--are guilty of first-degree murder.

Prosecutors claim Williams, Boatwright and Newsome robbed XXXTentacion outside Riva Motorsports in June 2018, taking cash from his Louis Vuitton bag before shooting him multiple times. They allegedly displayed the money on social media as evidence.

Defense attorneys representing the three men charged in the case alleged investigators of haste in reaching a conclusion and neglecting to investigate if Drake was involved. They explained they felt under pressure to solve the crime following Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School's deadly shooting months earlier.

Attorney Mauricio Padilla is seeking to depose Drake over the XXXTentacion murder, but Drake's legal team is arguing there is no evidence linking him to it. In a motion filed Sunday, Drake's legal team asked for the judge to dismiss their deposition request.

Padilla sent Drake a Zoom link to take the deposition, but Drake's lawyers are insisting that it should remain private and sealed. This is essential because if the deposition goes public, it could compromise Drake's security.

Before a court will issue a deposition order, the defendant's legal team must meet several conditions. Initially, the court must determine there is cause for the deposition - such as evidence showing someone has broken the law or committed an offense.

The next factor to consider is whether the attorney has any relevant knowledge of the alleged crimes. If so, this knowledge could be presented to the jury and potentially influence them in their favor.

Another potential obstacle for the prosecution may be jurors not being familiar with rapper Drake's music. Without having heard it, they might not have noticed all of the controversy his name has sparked in recent years.