In a small touch of irony, attorneys representing the Adams County Deputies who are suing Afroman, a Winchester resident known also as Joseph Foreman, had a pretrial phone call with visiting Judge Jerry McBride last week – on 4/20, a day that many marijuana advocates protest for legalized use and encourage civil disobedience by smoking the illegal drug in public. Foreman has been an outspoken advocate for legalization and was made famous by hit song, “Because I Got High” two decades ago. Attorneys for Foreman were also present for the hearing.
The hearing follows the suit filed in March by deputies after Foreman used their images in music videos and merchandise following a raid that deputies executed on his home last summer. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the attorney representing the Deputies will amend the complaint from the officers to include new evidence after Foreman has continued to promote the sale of the merchandise with images and likeness of Adams County Sheriff’s Department personnel.
The lawyer representing Foreman told the Enquirer that he hasn’t advised Afroman to stop posting about the deputies, saying, his client was going to do what he wanted to do. In addition, a first amendment rights advocate who lives in Washington state was granted amicus curiae status by Judge McBride, which means that Arthur West, who is also an Afroman fan will be able to submit briefs about the suit to the court.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for June 8th.
