A California judge has granted Lil Nas X entry into a mental health diversion programme following his arrest for allegedly attacking police officers while wandering nearly naked through the streets of Los Angeles last August.
The judge ruled during a hearing on Monday that the charges against the Grammy-winning artist, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, could be dismissed if he successfully completes the programme and obeys all laws over the next two years.
“I’m thankful. 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 underpants and cowboy boots. He was charged with attacking a police officer and resisting arrest.
He was also taken to hospital following concerns about a possible overdose.
The felony charges carry a potential sentence of up to five years in prison if he is found guilty or fails to complete the court-ordered treatment. He had previously pleaded not guilty.
Following the incident, Hill was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Judge Alan Schneider said during Monday’s hearing that Hill’s conduct at the time of his arrest was “aberrant from his normal conduct”, according to his lawyer Christy O’Connor. The judge added that he “appears to be doing very well” and that “when treated, he is much better off and society is much better off”.
The court subsequently approved his request to enter the treatment programme.
Diversion programmes offer alternatives such as treatment for individuals with mental health conditions involved in the criminal justice system.
Hill’s defence lawyer told the court that he spent two months in a treatment facility in Arizona following his arrest.
After the hearing, Hill smiled at journalists and gave a thumbs up.
Following the incident, his father, Robert Stafford, told the Times that the artist had been under significant emotional strain due to family challenges.
“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,” he said. “That can weigh heavily on your heart.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
