Overview
- Two amicus filings landed March 9: one from roughly 30 artists, scholars and arts groups, and a separate brief from Travis Scott’s legal team.
- The case centers on James Garfield Broadnax, convicted in 2009, after jurors twice reviewed about 40 pages of his handwritten lyrics during the punishment phase.
- Supporters argue the lyrics were treated as literal autobiography, exploited anti-rap and racial bias, and imposed an unconstitutional, content-based penalty on protected expression.
- Texas officials counter that defense objections came too late and that any use of the lyrics was limited, with Dallas County prosecutors urging the Court to deny a stay.
- The Supreme Court has not said whether it will hear the case, and Broadnax’s execution is scheduled for April 30 in Texas.