Accused Ashanti Stalker Gets Trial Date

By ALEXANDRA STEVENS

A date next month was set for the retrial of the man accused of stalking R&B singer Ashanti at a court appearance on Tuesday where the defendant continued to defend himself in his idiosyncratic way.

Devar Hurd, 36, came before Justice Charles Solomon and made the unusual request that the judge read section 200.8 of Uniform Rules of the Trial Courts to him “word for word.” Hurd complained that new charges against him had just “popped up,” then accused the judge of not understanding the contents of the case before him.

“You’re trying my patience,” Solomon said to Hurd. “I don’t like your conduct. If you have any more motions or questions, put it in writing like a regular lawyer would.”

By rejecting several plea deals and representing himself in court, Hurd was expected to have the opportunity to personally cross-examine Ashanti for the third time. He claims that because Ashanti never blocked his Twitter account (one among her 1.78 million followers) or personally requested that he stop contacting her, his messages were welcomed. In previous testimony, Hurd said that his connection with the Grammy-winning singer began when they shared “strong eye contact” at a 2003 concert.

Hurd was convicted of sending over 100 explicit text messages to Ashanti’s mother and manager, Tina Douglas, in 2009. He was found guilty of harassing Ashanti and her family through social media, text messages, and phone calls, many of which included images of naked women and photos of his genitals. He was issued a restraining order barring any contact with Ashanti or any of her direct family members for ten years.

Hurd violated the order when he approached Kenashia Douglas, Ashanti’s sister, at a 2012 event, and she unwittingly took a photo with him.

Hurd, self-described as a singer, rapper, and model, faces up to four years in prison. After three days in court during his trial last December, an ill juror forced the judge to declare a mistrial. Hurd is charged with stalking, aggressive harassment, criminal contempt, and related charges.