Miami-based rapper Rick Ross was ordered to fork over $300,000 for his entourage’s physical altercation with DJ Vlad by a Manhattan federal jury last Thursday (April 15).
In the lawsuit, Vlad, whose full name is Vlad Lyubovni, claimed that Ross arranged an attack on him at the 2008 Ozone Awards for posting pictures of Ross wearing a correctional officer’s uniform on his website, www.vladtv.com.
Despite losing, during an interview with MTV News, Ross said he considered the lawsuit a success.
“I’ve been fighting a $4 million lawsuit for the last two years,” he said. “My defense was a success. I’ve got to salute Xavier Donaldson, my attorney. Whenever an artist or anybody is put in a position such as a lawsuit in this capacity, so much evidence is presented — videotapes, what have you — to be able to walk out of a courtroom giving the plaintiff less than 10 percent of what he requested, I consider my defense a success.”
Vlad commented on the win following the verdict and said, “As an individual that covers breaking news in the hip hop world, I am grateful that the jury punished Rick Ross for setting me up, when all I was doing was covering the news and making commentary.”
His attorney, Brian Caplan of Caplan & Ross, believes that this win serves a bigger purpose, stating, “There is no place in civilized society for members of the media to have to fear retribution for their news coverage and commentary. The jury awarded Mr. Lyubovny $250,000 in punitive damages against Rick Ross to send a message that such conduct will not be tolerated or condoned.”
Via Yo!Raps
