Rap videos made by Ronald Herron, the alleged leader of the Brooklyn, N.Y., “Murderous Mad Dogs” set of the Bloods, are admissible at his murder and racketeering trial, but so are the views of a defense expert who will testify that “gangsta” rap is not necessarily a statement of truth, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis on May 8 waved off defense arguments that admission of the videos breached First Amendment protections and evidentiary rules.
ALIBABA IPO
Chinese electronic-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. filed its highly anticipated U.S. initial public offering on May 6, tapping Simpson Thacher & Bartlett for legal counsel. Sullivan & Cromwell will advise the underwriters. The filing says Alibaba plans to raise $1 billion, but the figure is expected to grow to more than $15 billion. Alibaba operates an online shopping center, Tmall, and digital payment operator Alipay, among other brands. Last year, it posted revenues of nearly $8 billion and net income of $3.4 billion.
