Rapper Ja Rule may be near trial in NYC gun case

[December 13, 2010]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Rapper Ja Rule may soon be in the spotlight in a New York City courtroom.

A trial could start as soon as this week in a gun-possession case stemming from a July 2007 stop of his luxury sports car. He has a court date Monday.

Police say they found a loaded semiautomatic gun in a rear door of the $250,000-plus car after it was stopped for speeding.

The platinum-selling rapper has pleaded not guilty to criminal weapon possession. His lawyer has said the traffic stop was unjustified and has questioned a type of DNA analysis used in the case.

Ja Rule's "Pain is Love" was nominated for a best rap album Grammy Award in 2002. The 34-year-old rapper -- born Jeffrey Atkins -- also has appeared in movies, including the 2001 film "The Fast and the Furious."

[Associated Press]

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