The reported re-arrest of Las Vegas hip-hop producer Jamal Rashid — known to fans as Mally Mall — is a sharp reminder that for anyone on supervised release, the case is never truly over until the term is. According to court records cited in the reporting, Mally Mall is back in federal custody on alleged probation violations, the most serious being an accusation that he tried to keep a witness away from his upcoming revocation hearing.
At L & L Law Group, PLLC, we defend people in Frisco and across the Dallas–Fort Worth area who face exactly this kind of high-stakes moment: a probation or community-supervision violation, paired with brand-new allegations that can carry their own criminal exposure. Below, we use this national story as a lens to explain how Texas treats witness tampering, bribery of a witness, and a motion to revoke community supervision.
What Happened
Per the reporting, Mally Mall — legal name Jamal Rashid — was on supervised release stemming from an earlier federal sex-trafficking case. Prosecutors allege he used an intermediary, Steven Tolson (also known as “Jazz Lazr”), to contact a woman by phone and offer her cash on Mally Mall’s behalf in exchange for not appearing at his scheduled revocation hearing, and to sign documents claiming she was never trafficked. He is also accused of communicating with a woman he had been court-ordered to have no contact with. A court will now decide whether the alleged violations warrant revoking his supervised release and imposing additional prison time.
This article is L & L Law Group’s general legal commentary on a national news story. We do not represent anyone involved, and nothing here is a statement of fact about any individual’s guilt. Everyone is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The reporting we reference is linked below.
How Texas Treats Tampering With a Witness
The headline allegation — paying or pressuring someone to stay away from a hearing — maps directly onto Texas Penal Code § 36.05, Tampering With a Witness. In Texas, a person commits this offense if, with intent to influence a witness, they offer or confer a benefit, or coerce the witness, to do things like testify falsely, withhold testimony, or abstain from or elude legal process such as a subpoena or a court appearance.
Tampering with a witness is generally a third-degree felony in Texas, punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The grade can rise to a second-degree felony (2 to 20 years) when the underlying official proceeding involves a more serious felony. Critically, the offense does not require that the scheme actually work — the attempt to influence the witness is what the statute targets.
Bribery and Retaliation Carry Their Own Weight
Offering cash to change or suppress testimony can also implicate Texas Penal Code § 36.02, Bribery, when a benefit is offered in connection with a public servant’s decision or a judicial or administrative proceeding. Bribery is a second-degree felony in Texas, exposing a defendant to 2 to 20 years in prison.
Separately, Texas Penal Code § 36.06, Obstruction or Retaliation, makes it a crime to harm or threaten a witness, informant, or person who reported a crime — or to do so in retaliation for their participation. That offense is typically a third-degree felony and can climb higher when a public servant or certain protected witnesses are involved. And if someone destroys, alters, or fabricates documents to derail a proceeding, Texas Penal Code § 37.09, Tampering With or Fabricating Physical Evidence, can apply as well — itself usually a third-degree felony.
What a Community-Supervision Revocation Looks Like in Texas
The other half of this story is the revocation hearing. In Texas state court, when someone is on community supervision (what most people call probation), the State can file a Motion to Revoke or a Motion to Adjudicate if it believes a condition was violated. The mechanics that make these hearings so consequential:
- Lower burden of proof. The State must prove a violation only by a preponderance of the evidence — not beyond a reasonable doubt. One proven violation can be enough.
- Judge, not jury. Revocation is decided by the judge, who has broad discretion over the outcome.
- Deferred adjudication is especially risky. If the original plea was deferred adjudication and the judge adjudicates guilt, sentencing can open up the full punishment range for the underlying offense — not just the probation term.
- New conduct compounds exposure. Alleged new offenses (like tampering or no-contact violations) can serve both as grounds to revoke and as fresh charges, stacking the consequences.
For someone facing this in Collin County or anywhere in DFW, the strategy often blends two tracks at once: contesting whether the alleged violation actually occurred, and, where appropriate, presenting mitigation — compliance history, treatment, employment, and family ties — to argue for continued supervision or modified conditions rather than incarceration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it tampering even if the witness never agreed or never missed court?
Under Texas Penal Code § 36.05, the offense focuses on the intent to influence a witness through an offered benefit or coercion. A scheme can be charged even if it ultimately failed, because the law targets the attempt, not just the result.
What is the difference between a probation violation and a new criminal charge?
They are separate tracks that can run together. A violation is handled in a revocation or adjudication hearing under a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard before a judge. A new charge is a fresh criminal case requiring proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The same conduct can trigger both at once.
How much prison time can a Texas witness-tampering charge carry?
Tampering with a witness is generally a third-degree felony (2 to 10 years and up to a $10,000 fine), and can rise to a second-degree felony (2 to 20 years) depending on the seriousness of the underlying proceeding.
Can a no-contact order really be enforced if it was only stated out loud in court?
Yes. Court-ordered conditions — including verbal directives on the record — are enforceable. Violating a no-contact condition can be grounds to revoke supervision and, depending on the facts, may support additional charges.
How L & L Law Group Can Help
Witness-tampering allegations and revocation motions move fast and carry severe consequences, often colliding at the worst possible time. Our team scrutinizes how the alleged contact happened, who said what, and whether the State can actually meet its burden — while building the mitigation case that judges weigh when deciding between revocation and a second chance.
If you or a loved one is facing a probation violation, a motion to revoke, or new tampering, bribery, or obstruction charges in Frisco, Collin County, or anywhere in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, contact L & L Law Group, PLLC at (972) 370-5060 for a confidential consultation. Early, strategic intervention can change the entire trajectory of a case.
By Reggie London and Njeri London.