Rapper gets jail term for showing disrespect in court

Rapper DMX was slapped with an extra 10 days behind bars by a New York judge who said he had not shown respect for the court.

DMX, real name Earl Simmons, apologised profusely to Criminal Court Judge Dorothy Chin-Brandt before she handed down her sentence yesterday. On Thursday, when Simmons appeared almost three hours late for sentencing, she had issued a bench warrant for his arrest and threatened to impose a one-year term.

Once Chin-Brandt imposed the new sentence today – a total of 70 days in jail - Simmons, who arrived in court with his hands cuffed behind his back after spending the night in jail – was immediately taken to prison. With good behaviour, the jail term could be reduced to 46 days, leaving the 34-year-old behind bars for the American Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.

Prosecutor Gerard Brave argued in favour of additional jail time for Simmons, saying the rap star “continues to show disregard for the court. He continues to put his own interests and his career ahead of the court.”

Simmons told the judge that he was late on Thursday due to an asthma attack, and produced a doctor’s note verifying his illness. He made an appeal for the original lesser sentence.

“I’m still a person with kids at home and a wife,” he said. “I am sorry. I was sick. I apologise.”

“I’m not happy with the 10 days, but it’s better than a year,” said Simmons’ lawyer, Murray Richman. Simmons spent the night in jail after showing up late on Thursday, with his stay counting toward his sentence.

The Mount Kisco, New York, resident had faced a 60-day term and a 1,000 dollar (£582) fine after pleading guilty last month to violating the conditions of his release following a June 2004 incident at Kennedy International Airport in New York. Simmons, after claiming he was a federal agent, had smashed his sport utility vehicle into a parking lot gate to apparently avoid paying the parking charge.

Under his December 2004 conditional release, Simmons was required to stay out of trouble for a year – but he was twice cited for traffic violations, including a 104 mph speeding ticket and an accident with an unmarked police car.