Judge Sets New Rules on Ja Rule's Bail

Los Angeles (E! Online) - This isn't the kind of diss Ja Rule is used to.

A New York judge has barred the "Put It On Me" emcee from ponying up thousands of dollars in bail on behalf of two codefendants in his weapons possession case.

Per published reports, State Supreme Court Justice Micki Sherer explained her decision to Ja Rule's camp at an indictment arraignment on Wednesday.

She noted the potential conflict of interest that could arise if the hip-hopster is allowed to foot the hefty bonds for Dennis Cherry, his road manager, and Mohamed Gamal, his limo driver, who were riding with him when he was pulled over in Manhattan on July 22 for speeding following a concert with Lil Wayne.

"[Ja Rule] has put himself in the position of perhaps controlling the outcome of the case. I think the potential for it is a big problem," she said.

At the time of the traffic stop, police ran the tags and found that the luxury 2004 Maybach—reportedly worth between $250,000 and $400,000—had no insurance and a suspended registration. Officers also caught the faint whiff of marijuana emanating from the car's interior.

While a search turned up none of the green stuff, New York's Finest did discover a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun in the rear driver's side door. The trio were subsequently taken into custody and booked on the weapons charge.

At their arraignment in July, the 31-year-old rapper (born Jeffrey Atkins) not only plunked down $150,000 for his bond, but also paid for Cherry's and Gamal's bonds, which were set respectively at $150,000 and $20,000. He was able to do so by offering his $3.5 million house in Saddle River, New Jersey, as collateral.

All three men have pleaded not guilty. The judge's decision will ultimately force Cherry and Gamal to come up with their own money for the bonds.

Stacey Richman, Ja Rule's Yonkers-based attorney who has also represented the likes of Lil Wayne and DMX, could not be reached for comment.

This isn't the first time the multiplatinum-selling artist, who got his start collaborating with Jay-Z in the mid-90s, has been in trouble with the law.

In 2003, Ja Rule was busted outside a Toronto nightclub for assaulting a fan who mocked his feud with 50 Cent.

Two years later, the feds launched a probe into whether he and members of his label, The Inc., were involved in a fatal 2004 shooting at a New York club party the rap star had hosted.