A California judge has granted the Grammy-winning rapper Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, entry into a mental health diversion program after he was arrested last August for attacking police officers while wandering the streets of Los Angeles nearly naked. At a hearing on Monday, the judge told Hill that if he completes the program and abides by all laws for the next two years, the charges against him could be dismissed. "I'm just very thankful," Hill told Rolling Stone magazine after the hearing. "It could have been much worse."
Hill was arrested late at night on Ventura Boulevard, wearing only his underpants and cowboy boots. He was charged with attacking a police officer and resisting arrest. Additionally, he was taken to the hospital due to concerns about a possible overdose. His felony charges carry a potential sentence of up to five years in prison if he is found guilty and fails to complete the judge-ordered treatment. He pleaded not guilty to the charges last year.
After the incident, Hill was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. During Monday's hearing, Judge Alan Schneider said that Hill's behavior when he was arrested was "aberrant from his normal conduct," according to his lawyer Christy O'Connor, who spoke to BBC News after the hearing. The judge added that Hill "appears to be doing very well" and that "when treated, he is much better off and society is much better off." He then granted Hill's request to enter a treatment program.
Diversion programs are initiatives that offer alternatives like treatment for people with mental illness who are caught up in the criminal justice system. Hill's defense lawyer told the court that after his arrest, Hill spent two months in a treatment facility in Arizona. After the hearing, Hill smiled at journalists and gave a thumbs-up sign.
Following his arrest, his father told The Times that Hill's mother's struggle with addiction and his inability to help her had been taking a toll on his mental health. "For a 26-year-old to have to deal with what he's dealing with - to be a breadwinner for a lot of people, the inability to change his mother's situation and the pressure he puts on himself," said father Robert Stafford. "That can weigh heavily on your heart."
