Courts are increasingly recognising the broader damage that can be inflicted in art crimes, too. Although the art trade’s rarefied and opaque nature sometimes made it difficult for judges and ...

As the genre grew, the assault on rap shifted from public condemnation to criminal prosecutions. In the 1990s, prosecutors began using rap lyrics as evidence of criminality against Black artists.

Judge Christine Downs, who presides over three of the specialty courts, said participants’ art serves multiple purposes. “We have an art show for several reasons.