Dr. Dre Sues Detroit
D E T R O I T, July 15, 2000 -- Rapper Dr. Dre sued the city of Detroit, the
mayor’s spokesman and two police officials Friday, accusing them of
censorship by threatening to arrest him and organizers if he aired
a questioned video during a concert.
The U.S. District Court lawsuit seeks $25 million on behalf ofthe rapper known legally as Andre Young, and promoter Chronic 2001Touring Inc. It names mayoral spokesman Greg Bowens, AssistantPolice Chief Marvin Winkler and Detroit police Commander GaryBrown.
Video Pulled
Dr. Dre alleges his free speech and due process rights wereviolated by Detroit officials who ordered the video yanked July 6from a Joe Louis Arena concert also featuring rappers Snoop Dogg,Eminem and Ice Cube.
The roughly eight-minute video, showing nudity and a bloodyshootout, ultimately was not shown, given what the lawsuit calledthe city’s “11th-hour threats,” “extreme and outrageousactions” and “clearly an unlawful prior restraint.”
Bowens said Friday he had not seen the lawsuit but described itas a “baseless (one) and shameless attempt to get more attentionfocused” on the performers’ Up in Smoke Tour.
“In a nutshell, when you can’t even fill up half of Joe Louis(Arena), this can’t be viewed as anything else but a publicitystunt to drum up more business as they go on,” Bowens said.
Police Chief Benny Napoleon, Winkler and Brown did notimmediately return telephone messages Friday.
Video ‘Integral’ to Show
The lawsuit alleges the video, “integral to (Dr. Dre’s)performance,” had played during tour stops in 10 U.S. cities andToronto “without incident before coming to Detroit.”
Hours before the local concert, the suit says, Bowens, the twopolice officials and “a significant number” of armed lawenforcers appeared at the arena and demanded the video be pulled.
At times using profanity, the lawsuit says, Bowens called thevideo inappropriate, had no court order barring its showing andcould not cite applicable laws.
With Bowens nearby, the suit says, Brown told organizers theconcern was whether the video was appropriate for young people, andthat the tour hadn’t warned the audience on the tickets or inadvertisements.
Even so, the suit says, an audiotape loop played overloudspeakers outside the arena advised of the performance’s“mature content,” with similar written notices on the arena’sdoors.
Threats of Arrest
Brown threatened to arrest whoever activated the video, Dr. Dreand the tour’s promoters, then immediately stop the show, thelawsuit says. Winkler threatened to “pull the power” to thearena, regardless of any ensuing audience unrest, the suit says.
“Faced with the 11th-hour threats and demands of the city andits significant police presence, as well as the city’s totaldisregard of the possibility of a civil disturbance if the policedid as they threatened,” the lawsuit says, Dr. Dre “was forcednot to exhibit the video during the performance rather than riskharm to his fans.”
Hours before a scheduled concert the next day at the Palace ofAuburn Hills, the suit alleges, Dr. Dre and the promoters also weretold by that suburb’s police not to show the video.
When a Detroit federal judge ruled Auburn Hills could not blockthe video’s showing, it aired as scheduled. Police issued Dr. Dre amisdemeanor citation for promoting pornography.
Police there also have reported the matter to the state LiquorControl Commission, believing the Palace violated its liquorlicense by airing the video, said Chris De Witt, a MichiganAttorney General’s Office spokesman.