Barry “Cassidy” Reese was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault Tuesday and was sentenced to 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison.
The rapper could possibly be out of jail in a few months because of time already served in prison. The rapper has been incarcerated since June.
At the non-jury trial, Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan said that rapper was negligent in providing guns to assailants that eventually killed Desmond Hawkins, a 22-year-old Philadelphia man.
"You could be a leader in the community," Greenspan said according to the Associated Press. "All those guns - that's why Desmond is gone now, because of all those guns."
In court, the rapper expressed remorse for the crime. "It's a tragic situation for me too. I didn't set up for this to happen. Desmond Hawkins was my friend ... one of my closest friends,” he told the judge.
The murder trial of Philadelphia rapper Cassidy started on Monday Jan. 24, were the rapper was accused of first-degree murder in relation to an April 2005 slaying.
In June, Cassidy was arrested and charged with the murder of Hawkins. Cassidy surrendered to authorities in June of 2005, a week before the release of his sophomore album, I'ma Hustla.
Prosecutors claimed the rapper planned the murder by placing four of his associates in positions to attack his rivals.
His accusers concur Cassidy was more than prepared - as they said they discovered almost 80 unspent cartridges of various calibers in his home, near the shooting. Prosecutors claimed that Roberto Johnson, an associate of Hawkins, fought with one of Cassidy's associates earlier in the day in front of a Rite-Aid drug store.
Seeking retaliation for the altercation earlier in the day, Johnson testified the he, along with Hawkins, Daniel Irvin, 22, and 21-year-old Bobby Hoyle went to Cassidy's home.
Johnson testified he was not in the van because he was urinating in a nearby back yard. He heard the gunshots and ducked behind a car.
Ballistic evidence recovered at the scene found that 30 shots were fired at the van from an area near Cassidy's home, while 12 shots came from inside the van.
Johnson testified that he was unarmed and the he had seen only one gun in the van. He said he sold the weapon after the shooting.
Responding to the allegations, Cassidy's lawyer Fortunato Perri. Jr. suggested Johnson may have fired first as he was outside the van.
In July of 2005, prosecution witness Joseph Newkirk recanted his statements to police that he witnessed Cassidy firing a gun. In court on Monday, Newkirk alleged police detectives told him what to say.
In August, Cassidy's charge was reduced to a third-degree murder charge, but the decision was appealed to a higher court and the first-degree murder charge was reinstated.
ye, I forgot that he had a murder beef, thanks for the news, NewJERU.
Wow.. wow.
But now you know when he gets out in a couple of months he's gonna come out with some s***, and rap about it, do mad interviews, he's gonna capitalize. This may be a career highlight for him, to bad it's under cold circumstances.
__________________ "The darkside, Sidious, is an illness no true Sith wishes to be cured of, my young apprentice .."
__________________ This is Hip-Hop: A Tribe Called Quest / Big Daddy Kane / De La Soul / Common Sense / Organized Konfusion / Eric B. & Rakim / Marley Marl / The Pharcyde / Public Enemy / Boogie Down Productions / EPMD / Kool G Rap / Brand Nubian / Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5 / NWA / Main Source / KMD / Farm Fresh / Wu-Tang / Gang Starr / Cormega / Freestyle Fellowship / Pete Rock & CL Smooth / Juice Crew / KRS-One / The Roots / Ultramagnetic MC's / Jungle Brothers / Blackalicious / John Smith / MF Doom / El-P / Supastition / mcenroe / Qwel / Cannibal Ox / Madlib / Company Flow / Black Star / Mr. Lif / Brother Ali / J-Live / O.C. / Count Bass D / I Self Devine
__________________ This is Hip-Hop: A Tribe Called Quest / Big Daddy Kane / De La Soul / Common Sense / Organized Konfusion / Eric B. & Rakim / Marley Marl / The Pharcyde / Public Enemy / Boogie Down Productions / EPMD / Kool G Rap / Brand Nubian / Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5 / NWA / Main Source / KMD / Farm Fresh / Wu-Tang / Gang Starr / Cormega / Freestyle Fellowship / Pete Rock & CL Smooth / Juice Crew / KRS-One / The Roots / Ultramagnetic MC's / Jungle Brothers / Blackalicious / John Smith / MF Doom / El-P / Supastition / mcenroe / Qwel / Cannibal Ox / Madlib / Company Flow / Black Star / Mr. Lif / Brother Ali / J-Live / O.C. / Count Bass D / I Self Devine
I think he either meant the victim killed or Cassidy himself for deciding to take that path. I'd say 2 brovas lost.
And the career highlight thing, Pac used it to his advantage when he got clapped up and when he shot them off duty Jakes and repeatedly rapped about it on different joints time and again. 50 capitalized too, that's all he would talk about on interviews, his music. You know, showing his bullet wounds. Snoop came out wit "murder was the case" during or after that murder beef he had.
They all capitalized. Hey it's grimy but it pays. Violence sells probably just as well as sex does.
__________________ "The darkside, Sidious, is an illness no true Sith wishes to be cured of, my young apprentice .."
So, he was pissed off and pulled out a piece, shot and killed a guy, but on accident? I want this guy's defense attorney because I'm greedy, and want to accidently knock off a few banks. Hookaniggaup!
This ****in' guy's name is Barry. I think that's equivalent to a life sentence in itself.
Last edited by Cory Chaos on Jan 25th, 2006 at 08:28 AM
I think Cassidy's kinda nice. It's just that he's gonna be mad predictable with his flow now so it's not gonna be that appealing. Well, to most it'll will be cause the fans will love it.
Hey like I said, if it made more money for 50, Snoop and Pac, then it'll make Cassidy mad money. And he was already popular too, gettin' airplay on multiple songs and everything, even till this day, and he'll probably get even more airplay. And that last album might sell more too.
That's business, baby.
__________________ "The darkside, Sidious, is an illness no true Sith wishes to be cured of, my young apprentice .."
So? I don't give a shit about business. If you have to go to jail for manslaughter and it's considered good business, then both you and your fans are idiots.
Cassidy hasn't been good since his very early Ruff Ryders days and even then he was only good at freeing or battling. Like Jin and so many others, producers heard him battle and thought he'd be great, gave him a record deal and he put out a shit album. A born MC can battle well, a born battler can't creatively MC half the time.
All the best battlers were writing actual rhymes before they began battling.
There are too many idiots out there who are impressed by semi-coherent similies in battle rhymes.
Eg: That Cassidy line "You get pissed on like pregancy tests." So? He's just saying the man is shit. It's not a good line. "My gun is like my dick, bigger than usual." So what? Why does that make Freeway look bad? It's a battle, not a masturbating contest.
1st off, I never said I condoned a criminal lifestyle as good advertisement for an album or someones music. I think it's low when it's abused. I'm plainly sayin' that it happens that way.
And you yourself are an idiot if think the music business isn't primarily about the money; commerciality, even moreso now. That's why I don't listen to practically any of the s*** heads drop now, cause it's all about the BS.
And Casiddy was nice in his early Ruff Ryder days tru but that's really the last time I heard his s*** with interest, unless someone else had him on, on some radio or something, flippin' it. And that's what I was referring to as him still probably being nice.
__________________ "The darkside, Sidious, is an illness no true Sith wishes to be cured of, my young apprentice .."
I don't care or deny what the music BUSINESS is about, but that's not all there is. If it's all you know then I suggest you go educate yourself on real music then come back and have a chat with me after.
If you're gonna call him a good business man because he indirectly achieves publicity off the back of being incarcerated, then you're a moron.
Isn't it a bit of a flawed logic to assume someone is still the same or as good?
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Jan 25th, 2006 12:52 AM
