Earlier this month, Joe Budden was charged with lewdness in Edgewater, New Jersey. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the charge stems from an incident on December 4th. The Edgewater Police Department (EPD) issued a statement on December 30th, explaining that officers responded to a call at approximately 7:21 AM. A resident reported that their Ring security camera showed Budden, completely naked, attempting to enter a code into their apartment’s door keypad several times before returning to his own apartment in the same building. The resident and her two juvenile daughters witnessed the incident live on their phone.
Budden’s attorney, Nima Ameri, Esq., of the Ameri Law Firm, strongly criticized the EPD’s public statement. Ameri told TMZ that Budden is “saddened” by Police Chief Martin’s press release, noting that Budden has been waiting weeks for his own cross-complaints to be processed, which include potentially more serious, felony charges against the individuals who filed the complaint against him. Ameri alleges that Chief Martin prioritized self-promotion over processing these counterclaims and that the Chief’s actions were reckless and racially motivated, citing a lack of similar press releases for disorderly conduct charges on the police department’s website this year. Ameri contends that the Chief’s focus on Budden is due to his race and celebrity status.
The attorney further described the lewdness charge as a minor offense that didn’t even result in an arrest, adding that Budden intends to fight the charge in court, not in the media. Budden’s court date is scheduled for next month. It’s noteworthy that Budden has publicly discussed recent conflicts with his neighbors, claiming he was evicted from his apartment for continuing to record his podcast there, and has also previously stated that he is a sleepwalker.