Fat Joe’s Lawyer Reacts to Tyrone Blackburn’s Arrest for Process Server Assault

Terrance Dixon, the former hypeman who is suing Joe for a number of charges, is currently being represented by Blackburn.

Fat Joe’s legal team confirmed on Monday, June 23, that Tyrone Blackburn, the lawyer for Joe’s former hypeman Terrance Dixon, was taken into custody and charged with second-degree assault.

The charge is related to an incident in which Blackburn allegedly tried to avoid being served with court documents by hitting a process server with his car.

The incident happened when a process server came to Blackburn to deliver a lawsuit related to an April 2025 filing, according to Joe Tacopina, Joe’s attorney. Blackburn allegedly attempted to leave the scene after refusing to accept the papers, striking the server with his vehicle in the process. Despite being served in the end, Blackburn is currently in handcuffs as a result of his choice to use physical evasion.

Blackburn and Dixon are named in Joe’s lawsuit from earlier this year, which accuses them of extortion, defamation, and purposeful emotional distress. The claim is based on a demand letter that Dixon and Blackburn sent to Joe in March, alleging that Dixon was a “ghostwriter and uncredited vocalist” on a number of Fat Joe’s songs and demanding payment.

A second complaint containing what Fat Joe’s attorneys described as “false and outrageous allegations,” such as statutory rape, sex trafficking, and fraud, was sent to the rapper’s legal team after they rejected the demands as fraudulent. Following the issuance of an arrest warrant, Dixon and the attorney filed a retaliatory lawsuit against Blackburn, which Joe’s team claims was just another deliberate attempt to discredit him.

Speaking about the recent arrest, Tacopina told VIBE that the news was not shocking.

According to Tacopina, “our team’s reaction is that it’s not a surprise at all.” Typically, it would be rather shocking for a lawyer to be arrested. Since it’s only the most recent instance of his behavior, it’s not shocking in this case. His dishonest, deceptive behavior, or misconduct, as I shall refer to it… He truly is an embarrassment to the legal community.

Tacopina cited behavioral patterns that he believes show a poor legal strategy, referencing prior disciplinary concerns expressed by federal judges. Recently, two federal judges censured him. The manner in which he will bring a lawsuit essentially for the sole purpose of embarrassing someone, gaining attention for himself, or obtaining financial gain, only to have it fail miserably.

Tacopina claims that Blackburn’s credibility is further called into question by the actions surrounding the case. “Unfortunately for him, he has chosen the wrong defense team and defendant because we won’t play games; the truth will be revealed and he will find himself in a very challenging situation.”

Tacopina thinks Blackburn’s past legal troubles could have an effect in the courtroom. He stated, “I believe the judge will have taken into account all of the lawyers’ actions before the court, as that is just a component of any advocate’s credibility.” I would resign from practicing law if a federal judge wrote the same thing about me that she did about him. I would go to Starbucks or someplace to make espressos. I would perish. However, he simply doesn’t know about this stuff. Tacopina cited Blackburn’s arrest as a another example of his character.

“The Terror Squad boss is in good spirits and focused on moving forward despite the accusations and media attention,” Tacopina said. I’ve known Joe for a very long time, and he’s a fantastic man. He remarked, “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” Even if it is wholly untrue, which it is, nobody enjoys going through this. However, he must still endure it. “I spoke with him today, and he was very positive and has a good outlook,” he continued. However, he now has to cope with unfounded accusations from someone who lacks credibility and acts only to get attention for himself.

Regarding the case itself, Tacopina is adamant that his client is not at risk of legal action. “He won’t be held accountable. Joe would never be held accountable in this situation. “An allegation, particularly a civil allegation, is just an allegation,” he added. “This is just a phony claiming to be able to get money.” Nevertheless, he still faces a lot of challenges because he has numerous contracts with various businesses and serves as the spokesperson for various causes.

Tacopina ended by raising questions about the defendants’ capacity to pay for any possible financial consequences. “There are accumulated damages, and I’m not sure where Tyrone Blackburn and Mr. Dixon will find the funds to reimburse Joe, as I’m sure they won’t have enough to cover all of the damages combined.”

Additionally, this is not Blackburn’s first arrest. He was referred to the grievance committee by Southern District of New York Judge Denise Cote in April 2024 for allegedly bringing cases in federal court to garner media attention and pressure settlements with sensational claims rather than to pursue justice.

Judge J. Paul Oetken also criticized Blackburn’s actions in his court filings, pointing to “irrelevant insults, misstatements, and exaggerations” and “inaccurate statements of law” just one month prior to Joe’s original lawsuit.