ICP Officially Sues the FBI

A lawsuit was filed Wednesday in the U.S. Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on behalf of ICP membersViolent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (Joey Utsler) and four Juggalos claiming that their constitutional rights of free expression and association and due process have been violated due to the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigations applying the gang designation in the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment. The lawsuit charges that the designation is wrong and without merit and should be removed.The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan is representing the Juggalos while the Detroit law firm Hertz Schram P.C. is representing ICP in the case.

“When the [gang] label first came out, I laughed at it. I had no idea how much it would effect us,” Violent J said during a press conference Wednesday at the ACLU office in Detroit. “Now it’s like a growing disease. It’s affecting everything ICP does. We’re going to fight this to the death, ’cause it’s not true. It’s stupid. It’s ridiculous.”