NEW YORK – West Coast rapper The Game, who was arrested on charges of impersonating a police officer last year, rejected a Manhattan prosecutor's offer Wednesday of a guilty plea for a sentence of time already served.
"Why should he plead guilty to bogus charges for a non-jail sentence if he's innocent," Lichtman said outside court. "And he is innocent. It's rare that I have a 100 percent innocent defendant, but this is one."
The rapper, who refused to speak about the case, was arrested in November 2006 after he told a cab driver that he was an undercover police officer and persuaded him to run a series of red lights, police said after his arrest.
Taylor, 27, of Glendale, Calif., allegedly picked up a livery cab the night of Nov. 16, 2006, shortly after he appeared on "Late Show with David Letterman." The cabbie drove about 13 blocks before he was pulled over, police said at the time.
Lichtman, calling the charges harassment and a "new low" for the police, said outside court, "This case will end in a dismissal or an acquittal."
Manhattan Criminal Court Judge James Burke scheduled Taylor's next court appearance for Sept. 20.
Taylor, sporting a tear drop tattoo under his left eye, the Los Angeles Dodgers' "LA" logo tattooed on his right cheek, and more elaborate tattoo art on his right neck, was recognized as he left through the courthouse lobby. He refused to sign autographs and left in a black Cadillac Escalade SUV.
Lichtman said the rapper will be on a concert tour through Europe for the next two months.
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