Cassidy Found Guilty, But Beats Murder Rap

Cassidy was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault yesterday (January 24) in Philadelphia.

After waiving his right to a jury trial, Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan convicted the 23-year-old MC (born Barry Reese) on one misdemeanor count of involuntary manslaughter as well as two felony counts of aggravated assault and possession of an instrument of crime.

Judge Greenspan sentenced Cassidy to 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison. Since he has already been jailed since his arrest in June, he may be released within a few months.

In issuing his sentence, Judge Greenspan called Cassidy grossly negligent for supplying the guns that killed Desmond Hawkins and wounded Hawkins' friends Bobby Hoyle and Daniel Irvin.

"You could be a leader in the community," she said. "All those guns-that's why Desmond is gone now, because of all those guns."

Prosecutors described the April 15 incident as an ambush, saying that Cassidy and his associates had stashed four different guns, including an assault rifle, around the alley behind the rapper's house because they were expecting a shootout. Police also found ammunition for an AK-47 and other weapons inside the home Cassidy shares with his girlfriend and 2-year-old son.

Witnesses testified that Hawkins, 22, had gone to Cassidy's home to act as a mediator after Hawkins' friends got into an altercation with Cassidy and his friends.

"It's a tragic situation for me too," Cassidy told the judge. "I didn't set up for this to happen. Desmond Hawkins was one of my closest friends."

Police have arrest warrants for two of Cassidy's associates who they have not been able to locate, Fortunato Perri Jr., his defense attorney, said.

Both Perri and the prosecutor said they were satisfied with the verdict. Cassidy was initially facing the possibility of a first-degree murder conviction, but the prosecution was hampered by witnesses who changed or withdrew their initial police statements.

Source: www.SOHH.com