Grand jury declines to indict rappers Paul Wall & Baby Bash

HOUSTON — A Harris County grand jury declined to indict rappers Paul Wall and Baby Bash for their alleged roles in a Dec. 2016 incident, it was announced Tuesday.

The grand jury indicted five other people on drug charges and declined to indict five others, including the two rap artists.

“Part of me is excited and happy of course for myself and Baby Bash and my boy John but it saddens me that there’s people going through this,” said Wall.

After the December 23 police raid at Paradise Glass Gallery on Yale, the business was evicted from the location and recently reopened on Houston Street. The grand jury decision also gave a ‘no bill’ to smoke shop owner John Sanchez.

Paul “Paul Wall” Slayton and Ronald “Baby Bash” Bryant were initially arrested on charges of engaging in organized criminal activity concerning possession with intent to deliver THC. The extract from marijuana is a felony in any amount under Texas law, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office says.

Those indicted by grand jurors include: Luis Amaya, Delgario Ramirez, Christopher Williams, Thomas Wissing and Paige Cooper. Amaya was indicted for possession of THC, a third degree felony amount. Ramirez was indicted for possession of THC, a second degree felony amount. Williams was indicted for possession of codeine, a first degree felony amount. Wissing and Cooper were indicted for possession with intent to deliver THC, a state jail felony amount.

A “no bill” issued by the grand jury means that grand jurors did not find sufficient evidence for charges to continue toward a trial. Those no-billed were Homer Villareal, John Sanchez, Alfred Diller, Slayton and Bryant.

The D.A.’s office says these charges do not involve the new Misdemeanor Marijuana Diversion Program. This program offers persons who meet certain criteria the option to avoid being charged and prosecuted for misdemeanor amounts of marijuana if they successfully complete a rehabilitative program on decision making.