Montague v. State

Lawrence Ervin Montague v. State of Maryland No. 75, September Term 2019 EVIDENCE – FACTORS AFFECTING ADMISSIBILITY – RELEVANCE OF RAP LYRIC EVIDENCE The Court of Appeals held that rap lyric evidence has heightened probative value, and is admissible as substantive evidence of a defendant’s guilt, when the lyrics bear a close nexus to the details of an alleged crime. When a defendant’s rap lyrics bear a close nexus to the details of an alleged crime, those lyrics exceed the low relevance threshold of Maryland Rule 5-401, and are therefore admissible under Maryland Rule 5-402, because they make…