Lil Nas X Makes First Court Appearance After Treatment: Lawyer Expects ‘Positive Resolution’
Lil Nas X and his legal team were in good spirits during the hip-hop artist’s first court hearing since leaving an inpatient treatment program following assault charges.
The singer and rapper (Montero Hill) appeared in Los Angeles court on Monday (Nov. 17), two months after he was arrested for attacking police officers during a late night naked walk. Lil Nas pled not guilty to four felony counts and was released on bond to attend treatment.
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Lil Nas had exhibited some strange behavior before and during the arrest, wearing only underwear and cowboy boots, and his father later told news outlets he was experiencing mental instability. The singer appeared healthy in court on Monday, talking and smiling with his attorneys as they waited for a judge to arrive.
The hearing itself was uneventful, with Judge Alan Schneider merely signing some paperwork and setting a follow-up appearance for March 12. But Lil Nas’ lawyer, powerhouse music industry defense specialist Drew Findling, addressed the future of the criminal case when he spoke to reporters after the hearing.
“As you can see, Montero is doing amazing, doing great, and we’re super happy for him,” Findling told press gathered outside the courthouse. “We’re just looking forward to a positive resolution in this case, which we’re very confident of.”
Findling did not specify what sort of “positive resolution” he expects for Lil Nas’ felony charges. It could mean anything from a trial verdict in his favor to a lenient plea deal, or even getting the charges dropped. California law allows prosecutors, in certain cases, to sub out criminal charges in favor of court-supervised mental health treatment, so it’s possible that is also on the table for Lil Nas.
Lil Nas himself has only commented on the case once, in an Instagram video right after he was released from a weekend in jail on a $75,000 bond. Lil Nas said in the video that the ordeal was “f–king terrifying” but assured fans, “Your girl is gonna be all right.”
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