FLINT, MI — Federal authorities say they relied on widespread media reports and communications with local law enforcement officials to justify listing followers of the rap duo the Insane Clown Posse as a gang.
However, the band and their attorney say the evidence the FBI used to declare their fans — also known as Juggalos — a gang in the National Gang Intelligence Center’s 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment Emerging Trends report isn’t proof enough to make such a determination on such a broad group of people.
The band filed a lawsuit in September 2012 in Flint U.S. District Court seeking the release of the information the FBI used to identify Juggalos as a gang. The FBI filed a motion Friday, Aug. 23, asking a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming it has already released the information as part of a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the band’s attorneys.
The documents can be viewed here.
The information contains media reports tying alleged Juggalos to numerous crimes across the country, including drug dealing, assaults and murder. Heavily-redacted communications between FBI officials and local law enforcement officers were also included in the release, according to court records.
Information containing items such as intra-agency communications, names of law enforcement personnel and documents that included potentially confidential law enforcement information were either redacted or not included in the releases, according to court records.
READ: Feds ask Flint judge to dismiss lawsuit
Attorney Howard Hertz, from Bloomfield Hills-based law firm Hertz Schram, represents ICP in the case. Hertz said the addition of Juggalos to the gang listing has had real impacts on people who identify as Juggalos, including preventing some people from joining the military for Juggalo-related tattoos.
“The intent now is to evaluate and find the proper plaintiffs to bring an action on their behalf to have the Juggalos removed from the FBI list,” said Hertz.
Do you believe the information released by the FBI is enough to label the band’s followers as a gang? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
Faygoluvers Comments
Guest
Comment posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 04:48 pm GMT -5 at 4:48 pm
Pure Speculation! Move to Dismiss!
Guest
Comment posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 04:50 pm GMT -5 at 4:50 pm
Just got to “Juggalo gang members typically wear suits and fedora style hats to identify themselves as members” this is GOLD!
PunkRockJuggalo
Comment posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 05:03 pm GMT -5 at 5:03 pm
Do not forget the Juggalo Gang Color Is Green
Guest
Comment posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 05:04 pm GMT -5 at 5:04 pm
Damn, what a joke. It’s just a bunch of media reports and letters requesting information. These are our nations best investigators? Holy shit that’s kind of scary. This looks like something a lazy college kid would put together. D-
PunkRockJuggalo
Comment posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 05:33 pm GMT -5 at 5:33 pm
Yeah you described it very well @guest
Lucem Ferre
Comment posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 08:30 pm GMT -5 at 8:30 pm
Damn it, they are on to us!!!!!!!
Soon they will find out that we are not really a gang but a secret army of clown supremecists planning on a radical take over of the U.S. government where we will unslave the paintless ones and kill all the “preppy mainstram faggots” that like to listen to Lil’ Wayne & Drake & Lady Gaga.
Lucem Ferre
Comment posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 08:32 pm GMT -5 at 8:32 pm
F.B.I. get down on your knees before the face painted oddities.
lynxtheclown
Comment posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 10:53 pm GMT -5 at 10:53 pm
So this make the “Kiss Army” A heavily organized terrorist group?
VoiceNameless
Comment posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 10:55 pm GMT -5 at 10:55 pm
“BLANK stated the Juggalos are in a type of gang war in California with the MS-13 gang and are holding their own against them” ……Really now? Lol.
wonka69
Comment posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 10:58 pm GMT -5 at 10:58 pm
you can not fight the law ! you can not fight the f.b.i. ! you can not fight the government ! the f.b.i. gives no fucks about i.c.p., juggalos, psychopathic records or this law suit ! i’m just saying. W%W !
Slumerican502
Comment posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 04:47 am GMT -5 at 4:47 am
“Juggalo gang members typically wear suits and fedora style hats to identify themselves as members”
Well…This is a little awkward
LTB
Comment posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 05:07 am GMT -5 at 5:07 am
Damn it slum you’ll kill us all with your tendy headgear
key
Comment posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 06:15 am GMT -5 at 6:15 am
I wonder if they saw your picture slum and that’s were they came up with the fedora idea. Way to blow out cover mother fucker
Deadfolx
Comment posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 07:39 am GMT -5 at 7:39 am
is this verified as being legit? I see Child Porn pop up a lot on page 4.
Deadfolx
Comment posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 07:44 am GMT -5 at 7:44 am
after further reading, I’m gonna have to call bullshit. Operate in cells of 5-10? We have “Shot Callers” assigned to each cell? I also noticed “Juggalo Holocaust” articles being used as reference.
Slumerican502
Comment posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 09:05 am GMT -5 at 9:05 am
What you don’t know about shot callers? must be low on the totem pole. Now that the cats out of the bag everyone can just refer to me as “nucky”. Big ballin’ pimp on a budget. make it hail mother fuckers
LTB
Comment posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 12:14 pm GMT -5 at 12:14 pm
Yeah, their frequent use of juggalo holocaust as a resource shows what total failures they are
Deadfolx
Comment posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 12:44 pm GMT -5 at 12:44 pm
also leads me to believe this is doctored.
rudemark1
Comment posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 02:13 pm GMT -5 at 2:13 pm
Far as I can tell this is blowing steam up j n shaggz lawyers asses! This shit I just read through is nothing more then public knowledge to anyone that would like to know, & furthermore the deleted pages could still be shown to them if they truly wanted with identities with held! Nothing more then assumptions & ignorance on a parts of law enforcement, media, & more so the pieces of shit that committed the crimes. Also I rarely fuck wit color green & fedoras are stupid looking on people in todays genra!!!
dramaman127
Comment posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 02:16 pm GMT -5 at 2:16 pm
i cant read this b.s… the funny thing is most of this is drug related crimes, when the fuck does ICP influence doing drugs? murder aspect is the persons fault..wheres the positive notes of juggalos being college grads and doctors delivering your childs and lawyers the FBI is a fucking joke
rudemark1
Comment posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 02:16 pm GMT -5 at 2:16 pm
This kind of shitty proof or reasoning is grounds enough for a dismissal? Oh sure & I’m the pope & I most definitely shit in the woods…..
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