Old Eminem Story Goes Viral After Judge Who Sentenced Rapper Delivers Ironic Line They’d Waited A Lifetime To Use

Eminem’s rise to fame wasn’t without its bumps in the road, and one of the most memorable ones came in 2001. The rapper found himself in court after a parking lot altercation that could’ve sent him to jail.

But recently, what resurfaced online wasn’t the case itself, but a clever one-liner from the judge that left everyone talking— again, decades later.

A bit of backstory: in 2000, Eminem had an incident with a local rap group in a Detroit parking lot.

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During the confrontation, he allegedly pulled out an unloaded 9-millimeter semi-automatic gun. This led to charges for carrying a concealed weapon and brandishing a firearm, making things very real, very fast.

Fast forward to 2001, Eminem was staring down the possibility of five years in prison.

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For someone who had just arrived on the scene with “The Real Slim Shady,” a five-year sentence would’ve been a career killer. Luckily for him, things didn’t quite go down like that in the courtroom.

During his June 2001 court appearance, Eminem ended up getting a much lighter sentence than expected.

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Instead of prison time, the rapper was sentenced to one year of probation. Along with that, he had to pay $2,300 in fines and court fees, and complete some community service. It was a slap on the wrist.

While the case was serious, the moment that stuck with people involved Judge Denise Langford Morris, who seized the opportunity to make a perfectly timed pop culture reference.

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Addressing Eminem, she dropped a line that’s now famous: “Mr. Mathers, now is the time for you to please stand up.”

The judge wasn’t just about the jokes, though.

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She also warned Eminem about how lucky he was that no one got hurt during the parking lot incident.

“Poor judgment is an understatement for what you did,” she told him, serving a serious reminder to the rapper to clean up his act.

Eminem’s defense attorney, Wally Piszczatowski, was clearly relieved by the sentence, calling it “fair.”

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He added that the rapper was happy the judge didn’t make an example out of him due to his celebrity status, noting that Eminem was satisfied the legal drama was behind him.

Prosecutor Mark Bilkovic had been pushing for jail time, but even he was content with the outcome.

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He said the judge made it clear Eminem was on thin ice for the next year: “If he screws up one time, she’ll be on him,” Bilkovic remarked, holding nothing back.

For a guy known for speaking his mind, Eminem was unusually quiet throughout the entire sentencing.

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When asked if he had anything to say, the rapper kept his response short and respectful: “No, ma’am,” was all he said. Not exactly the Slim Shady attitude we know him for.

This all went down in 2001, the same year Eminem was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys and performed an unforgettable duet of “Stan” with Elton John.

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Despite his legal troubles, his career continued to soar, making the year both chaotic and iconic for the rapper.