BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Baton Rouge rapper Torrence "Lil Boosie" Hatch pleaded not guilty Monday to murder, drug and conspiracy charges.
Hatch entered his plea before state District Judge Mike Erwin to one count of first-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to introduce contraband into a penal institution, three counts of possession with intent to distribute narcotics, and three counts of conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute narcotics.
His next scheduled court appearance is Oct. 14.
Hatch's attorney, Marcus Allen, spoke with reporters afterward and said Hatch is "absolutely not guilty."
"He meant what he said," Allen, a Lafayette city prosecutor who practices entertainment law, said.
"We're going to be preparing our defense. We have no idea what the evidence is. There's a lot of rumor and innuendo," he said.
East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III said his office has not decided whether to seek the death penalty against Hatch on the first-degree murder charge.
"Obviously it is an option," Moore said.
Allen acknowledged he is not certified to handle death penalty cases, so he said other lawyers will be brought into the case.
Hatch is named in three separate indictments returned June 17 by an East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury.
Hatch is accused of allegedly paying a man to kill 35-year-old Terry Boyd, who was shot to death through a window while inside his home on Oct. 21.
Two other Baton Rouge men also face first-degree murder charges in Boyd's death.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
Photo Caption: In a 2009 photo, Lil Boosie, whose real name is Torrence Hatch, is pictured on the red carpet as he arrives for the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. Baton Rouge rapper Torrence "Lil Boosie" Hatch pleaded not guilty to several charges including first-degree murder June 28 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/John Amis, File)
Hatch entered his plea before state District Judge Mike Erwin to one count of first-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to introduce contraband into a penal institution, three counts of possession with intent to distribute narcotics, and three counts of conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute narcotics.
His next scheduled court appearance is Oct. 14.
Hatch's attorney, Marcus Allen, spoke with reporters afterward and said Hatch is "absolutely not guilty."
"He meant what he said," Allen, a Lafayette city prosecutor who practices entertainment law, said.
"We're going to be preparing our defense. We have no idea what the evidence is. There's a lot of rumor and innuendo," he said.
East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III said his office has not decided whether to seek the death penalty against Hatch on the first-degree murder charge.
"Obviously it is an option," Moore said.
Allen acknowledged he is not certified to handle death penalty cases, so he said other lawyers will be brought into the case.
Hatch is named in three separate indictments returned June 17 by an East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury.
Hatch is accused of allegedly paying a man to kill 35-year-old Terry Boyd, who was shot to death through a window while inside his home on Oct. 21.
Two other Baton Rouge men also face first-degree murder charges in Boyd's death.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
Photo Caption: In a 2009 photo, Lil Boosie, whose real name is Torrence Hatch, is pictured on the red carpet as he arrives for the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. Baton Rouge rapper Torrence "Lil Boosie" Hatch pleaded not guilty to several charges including first-degree murder June 28 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/John Amis, File)
