Professor Andre Haughton’s admission to local media that he doesn’t know Chronic Law personally has been cited by US prosecutors in new filings opposing the entertainer’s bail.
The prosecutor revealed their opposition in a written filing to the federal court in Georgia, released on Friday.
William Mitchell reports.
On September 11, Chronic Law’s defence team, led by Ana Davide, wrote to Senior US District judge for the Middle District of Georgia, W. Louis Sands, seeking her client’s bail.
Chronic Law, whose given name is Ackeme Jermaine Campbell, is being held on pre-trial detention after pleading not guilty to being an alien in possession of a firearm.
The charges stem from a November 2025 traffic stop in which four guns, one of which was reported stolen, were reportedly found.
In removal proceedings stemming from the traffic stop, Professor Andre Haughton wrote to an immigration judge as a character reference for Chronic Law.
Chronic Law’s attorney reused Professor Haughton’s reference letter in her renewed push for bail for the entertainer. She argued the court misinterpreted some details of his then attorney’s bail argument.
After Nationwide News revealed the character letter written by Professor Haughton, the academic told Television Jamaica he didn’t personally know the entertainer.
In new court filings on Friday, prosecutor Shiante McMahon, cited five reasons in arguing against bail for Chronic Law. The Television Jamaica report was entered as reason number two.
McMahon says the entertainer appears to be ‘padding’ his character references. She says even if the reference is true, it doesn’t argue against the basis for him being denied bail; that is, he’s a flight risk and a danger to the community.
Reasons one, three and four against granting bail also draw the same conclusion.
The fifth reason given by the prosecutor points to Chronic Law’s legal team providing no evidence that his songs, lyrics or videos are actually uplifting or peaceful as they claim.
The prosecution argues that the court should deny Chronic Law’s request, or at least there should be a second hearing to take verbal arguments before reaching a decision.
No decision was made regarding bail.
Chronic Law’s legal team has requested that the trial, which was set for October, be rescheduled. The court agreed, indicating that the trial will instead start in January. An exact date has not been set.
