Busta Rhymes’ recent
arrest for driving with a suspended license has caused a judge to withdraw a plea
offer that would have allowed him to escape jail time over two assault charges.
In one
case, Rhymes, born Trevor Smith, is accused of assaulting his former driver Edward
Hatchett during a dispute over back pay. In the other, Rhymes allegedly assaulted
a fan that spit on his Maybach as it passed by in Manhattan, after an Aug. 12
performance on Randalls Island. Today
(Mar. 26), Judge Tanya Kennedy withdrew an offer made on Feb. 20, which would
have allowed Rhymes to plead guilty to third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.The
offer would have required Rhymes to serve five days of community service, two
weeks of youth lectures and six months of anger management classes.Rhymes,
34, was allegedly prepared to accept the offer today, but Judge Kennedy withdrew
the deal, because the rapper was arrested on Feb. 22 for driving in Manhattan
with a suspended license.He
was arrested just two days after he rejected a plea bargain from prosecutors,
who originally offered Rhymes six months in jail. Today,
prosecutors offered Rhymes a new offer that would have allowed him to avoid a
trial – but called for the rapper to serve one year in jail concurrently for both
of the assault charges. Rhymes,
who rejected the offer, is scheduled to stand trial on the assault charges starting
May 8.
