The Law

Intentional Assault (New York Penal Code). A person is guilty of assault in the first degree when: With intent to cause serious physical injury to another person, he causes such injury to such person or to a third person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument; 

The Shooting

In July 2007, Grammy-nominated rapper Remy Ma was involved in an altercation that resulted in her long time friend, Makeda Barnes-Joseph being shot twice in the stomach (serious physical injury). Remy suspected Makeda of stealing $2,000 or more from her purse while the two were celebrating a friend’s birthday at the Pizza Bar in Manhattan. The crowd began to clear out after 3:00am. However, Remy got into Makeda’s car with a loaded .45 caliber gun (deadly weapon) and confronted her about the missing cash (this is probably how the jury decided that Remy acted intentionally).

The Trial

The prosecution initially charged Remy with attempted murder which was later amended to two counts of assault. Initially, Remy denied shooting Makeda. However, at trial Remy’s attorney admitted that the shooting was an accident. The defense claimed that the Makeda was trying to misrepresent the nature of the events in order to win money from Remy in a civil lawsuit. Remy could only hope to get a shorter sentence out of the situation by claiming the “accident” defense, as she was facing up to 25 years in prison.

A jury found Remy guilty of assault, weapons possession, and attempted coercion. She is currently serving an 8 year sentence in a New York prison and her lawyers plan to appeal.

Lesson

Don’t bring a gun to fight. No longer claiming to be conceited, Remy pleaded for sympathy as she recognized the impact that any jail time would have on her young son and other loved ones. She obviously felt remorseful about the situation and she sobbed after her punishment was handed down. The judge did not feel the need to give Remy a slap on the hand. With the help of her lawyers, this more than likely would have been the result if there were no guns with hollow point bullets involved.

After all, the 2-3 thousand dollars Remy lost (which was never found in Jones possession) is nothing compared to the attorney fees, $250,000 bond, and time spent away from the free world. It’s understandable that firearms are used for protection, especially for celebrities and high-profile figures. But the smart ones go about it the LEGAL way and hire bodyguards to do the dirty work (See Snoop Dogg murder case). If you’re a normal person like me, you’re better off filing a report and taking the loss.