Drake Will Not Have To Sit For A Deposition In XXXTENTACION Murder Trial, Judge Rules

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ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 9: Drake performs onstage during "Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert" at State Farm Arena on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)

The judge in XXXTENTACION's murder case rules in Drake's favor. The rapper won't have to sit for deposition.

Over the past few years, the conspiracy theories linking Drake to XXXTENTACION’s death have been endless. There have been plenty of fan theories dissecting lyrics and music videos in an attempt to connect Drizzy to the Florida rapper’s death. Unfortunately, the Internet theories led to real-life implications and in the past two months, defense attorneys have used Drake’s name in an attempt to create some sort of doubt that the four men on trial did not actually murder XXXTENTACION. 

Most recently, the attorney for Dedrick Williams, Mauricio Padilla, has tried to convince a judge that his argument requires a deposition from Drake. There’s been a back-and-forth that led to a pair of process servers facing off with Drake’s security in Calabasas. On top of that, one of the defendants, who copped a deal and turned state’s witness, confirmed on the stand that he has no ties to Drake whatsoever. Meanwhile, the rapper’s lawyer has had to appear in court to try and quash the deposition since last week, though it appears that the judge has made a definitive decision.

Judge Rules In Drake’s Favor

This week, Padilla returned to court where he addressed the judge surrounding the Drake deposition and in short, it didn’t work out for him. Padilla tried to explain the video of 600Breezy going to Florida to find XXXTENTACION supposedly on Drake’s behalf. “Counsel, then subpoena 600Breezy,” the judge informed Padilla before shutting the door on any possibility of having Drake sit down for a deposition.

“What does that have to do with someone else who you have no evidence of being involved other than hearsay and innuendo,” the judge continued. “You are now trying to just drag somebody in who’s a celebrity, who does not want to be associated with this. And to harm that individual is not inconsequential.” Padilla began to explain the connection between Breezy and Drake but clearly, the judge was fed up. “You’ve had this case since 2018. Go talk to Breezy,” he said with his hands up. Overall, Padilla’s attempt to get Drake on the stand has been an utter failure. Check the clip above. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.