Michigan Lawsuit Against Dr. Dre Dismissed

As Dr. Dre is busy crafting the inner workings of his highly anticipated third studio album 'Detox,' a looming lawsuit is no more, making his focus dedicated to the music and less on lawyers and legal costs. The lawsuit, involving the veteran West Coast producer and several Michigan police officers, was dismissed Saturday (March 19) in Michigan State Supreme Court.

The officers, who were on patrol in Detroit during a 2000 concert, along with City Councilman Gary Brown who was in attendance, reportedly tried sueing Dr. Dre and Eminem for recording and releasing a confrontation they were involved in backstage at a show held in the Joe Louis arena. The heated exchange was videotaped and showcased on a DVD highlighting the famed "Up in Smoke" tour, which also featured rappers Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube.

Legal reports revealed that at the event, Brown warned organizers he would shut down power if a sexually explicit video was to be shown. In the lawsuit, the councilman's defense was that his privacy, as well as the police officers taped, were violated when he was shown on the DVD making the demands.

Dr. Dre's lawyer, Herschel Fink, revealed that the decision made by the court dealt only with the event instead of broader privacy issues. But Fink stated, "As I said in an e-mail to Dre, 'We'll take it.'"