Insane Clown Posse Loses Suit Against FBI

Duo objected to ranking of Juggalos as gang members
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 8, 2014 2:07 PM CDT
Insane Clown Posse Loses Suit Against FBI
Joseph Bruce, aka Violent J, left, and Joseph Utsler, aka Shaggy 2 Dope, of Insane Clown Posse.   (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The Juggalos took on The Man, and The Man won, at least this round. A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit brought by Insane Clown Posse and the ACLU against the FBI over the official designation of the group's fans as gang members, reports mlive.com. The band argued that the 2011 designation has subjected Juggalos to extra scrutiny by police and is discriminatory. No dice, said US District Judge Robert Cleland, who ruled that the designation is "descriptive," not "prescriptive," and thus does not dictate any specific police response, reports AP.

"This is not the end," said Insane Clown Posse member Joseph Bruce, known as Violent J. "We'll keep fighting to clear the Juggalo family name." He and fellow band member Joseph Utsler, aka Shaggy 2 Dope, along with four fans, today asked the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to review the ruling, reports the Hollywood Reporter. "While it is easy to fear what one does not understand, discrimination and bigotry against any group of people is just plain wrong and un-American," said Bruce. (More Juggalos stories.)

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