Cardi B could face serious consequences now that she’s turned herself in for her involvement in an alleged strip club attack. HollywoodLife.com spoke EXCLUSIVELY with three NY attorneys about the situation.
Cardi B, 25, may be in some serious hot water now that she turned herself in to the New York Police Department after an alleged attack on two female club bartenders. The rapper was at Angels Strip Club back in Aug. 2018 to watch her husband, Offset, perform with Migos on the night of the incident, and she allegedly told her crew to attack the women with bottles and chairs after rumors swirled that one of them had slept with Offset. The women were apparently injured but did not go to the hospital and Cardi denied any involvement at first but now she seems to be stepping forward and taking responsibility. Despite her smart decision to admit any alleged wrongdoings in the situation, Cardi’s actions could cause her to face some pretty rough charges that could lead to jail time and large payouts.
“Cardi B received a desk appearance for reckless assault, misdemeanor offensive, and she’s released to the 109 Precinct,” the NYPD shared in a statement. “She was given a desk appearance ticket and she’s going to appear at a later date and the charges were for assault and reckless endangerment. She’s been released and wasn’t put through the system.”
HollywoodLife.com spoke EXCLUSIVELY with three New York criminal defense attorneys who told us what Cardi most likely went through after turning herself in and what she can expect when it comes to her upcoming fate. “Cardi B received what is called a Desk Appearance Ticket (DAT), which means she was given a future date to return to court to face the charges,” New York criminal defense attorney Julie Rendelman explained. “The DAT is very common for misdemeanor charges as long as the individual charged does not have any prior warrants. Keep in mind, that in order to get the DAT, she had to submit to a photograph being taken of her, as well as her fingerprints being taken. Turning herself in was the right move. Had she not, then a warrant would likely have been issued for her arrest. This would mean she could potentially be picked up by the authorities and brought before a judge where bail could be set. Unlike the DAT, that process can take many hours.”
Rendelman continued sharing her professional opinion by explaining that the type of charges Cardi faces could lead up to spending a year in jail depending on whether or not she’s had any past run-ins with the law. “It appears she is currently facing charges for ‘A’ misdemeanors,” she continued. “The maximum an individual can receive for an ‘A’ misdemeanor is up to one year in jail if convicted. However, if she has no prior contacts with the system, or even minimal contacts, it is extremely unlikely that she will be convicted of the misdemeanor, let alone see any jail time.”
New York criminal defense attorney Paul D. Petrus Jr. agreed with Rendelman about Cardi’s possibility of jail time. “Cardi B is facing a criminal charge, so it must be taken seriously,” Petrus said. “She could face jail time of up to one year or up to three years probation.” Michael J. Palumbo is a New York criminal defense lawyer who is an expert in criminal procedure law, auto crime defense, and defense of traffic violations and he, too revealed information about the jail time Cardi is facing.
“Both reckless endangerment and Assault 3rd (the lowest grade of assault) are Class ‘A’ misdemeanors,” Palumbo explained. “Each carry a maximum of one year in prison, so she could potentially do two years in prison if she were sentenced to 2 years concurrent (i.e., she starts one sentence upon completing the other). She could also be sentenced to two years probation should she be found guilty of a Class ‘A’ misdemeanor or one year probation in lieu of incarceration. However, this is only if she is found guilty of one or both of the Class ‘A’ misdemeanors, or as we call it being found guilty of the ‘top charge.’ The criminal justice system is predicated on plea bargaining to lesser and included charges, which is likely what would happen in her case.”
All three attorneys also pointed out that Cardi could be sued by the injured women and may or may not end up dishing out a lot of money depending on how things go in court. “She could definitely be sued by these women, but it’s hard to say how much as it depends on the extent of their injuries in large part,” Petrus said. “Fines for criminal cases, if any, are nominal,” Rendelman told us. “For a criminal fine, you are talking less than $300.00. However, they could ask her to pay medical bills if there are any. In terms of civil, the only monetary payment would be if there was a settlement or the alleged victims won at trial.”
“Anyone assaulted by her or her group has one year to commence the action,” Palumbo added. “How much ‘pain and suffering’ one can recover will turn on the level of personal injury sustained. Inasmuch as the level of injury for a Class ‘A’ misdemeanor assault is no more than strains, strains, scratches, bruising, and minor bleeding, I would say that the damages for pain and suffering would be on the lower end of the scale – less than $100k and likely around $50k. In addition, the venue could also sue for special damages if their property was damaged in any way.”
“In terms of civil liability, as the alleged victims already have hired an attorney, it seems clear that they are interested in suing Cardi B,” Rendelman continued. “Most of these types of cases end in settlements. The amount of any type of settlement depends on many factors, including the actual injuries that resulted from the alleged assault and the strength of the evidence. Alleged complainants in civil suits can seek millions of dollars to resolve the case, although suing for millions doesn’t mean at the end of the day, that’s what they will receive.”
