Rapper Busta Rhymes won a victory in a Manhattan court today (July 10), as a judge ruled that four misdemeanor charges against the rapper would be tried as separate cases.
Rhymes, who is accused of two assaults, DUI and driving with a suspended license, adamantly rejected an offer of one year in prison, resulting in the trials.
Prosecutors sought to have the cases combined for expediency.
The rapper appeared in court at 9:30 am and appeared before Judge Larry Stevens, who issued his ruling in 30 minutes.
“The decision by the court today validates our stance that Busta has a real defense to these cases,” Rhymes’ attorney Scott Leemon told AllHipHop.com. “We are happy with the court’s decisions because after reading our detailed submission, the judge ruled that the information we supplied him warrants a separate trial on the facts.”
In the assault cases, Rhymes, born Trevor Smith, is accused of beating his former driver the day after Christmas, in a dispute over back pay.
The rapper is also accused of assaulting a fan August in 2006, after he allegedly spit on Rhymes’ Maybach as it passed by.
In Feb. 2007, Rhymes was charged with driving with a suspended license after he allegedly ran a red light in Manhattan.
In May, he was hit with DUI charges after police stopped him for having illegally tinted windows on his customized, bulletproof $225,000 GMC Yukon.
Busta Rhymes is due in court September 5.
