Lauren P. Raysor, Esq., a Manhattan-based civil rights attorney and former prosecutor, will appear at New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department in New York County on April 20 for opening oral arguments regarding the Appellate Brief she filed on behalf of her client, Makeda Barnes-Joseph, on February 3 against Universal Music Group et. al. Both sides are due in court at 2 p.m.

In her brief, Ms. Raysor argued that the Court was too quick to dismiss the complaint because the Court either disregarded or misunderstood the employment status of Remy Smith, aka “Remy Ma,” with Universal Music Group at the time of the shooting. Ms. Raysor added that her client was not given a chance to prove that Ms. Smith was still employed by the record company at the time of the shooting and that Universal was not only aware of Ms. Smith’s violent past, but used it as part of her recording artist persona to sell records.

On July 14, 2007, Ms. Smith shot Ms. Barnes-Joseph twice in the abdomen. As a result of her injuries, Ms. Barnes-Joseph required three surgeries and is still experiencing numbness in her legs.

Ms. Raysor filed a complaint against Universal Music Group on June 20, 2008 on the grounds that the record company openly promoted Ms. Smith’s propensity for violent behavior and kept her on its payroll, even when the shooting incident occurred. Three months later, Universal filed a motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint. On April 1, 2009, Judge Betty Owen Stinson found in favor of Universal and granted the record company’s motion to have the complaint dismissed.

For more information, visit www.laurenraysor.com.