| A Hackensack jury has found Love & Hip Hop New York cast member Mendeecees Harris not guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage girl four years ago in Lodi, New Jersey. Today's verdict was met with cheers by Harris' supporters in the courtroom, including his girlfriend Yandy Smith. The Cliff View Pilot reports: Fellow “Love & Hip Hop” star Yandy Smith was among those in the courtroom who leapt to their feet and stomped, clapped, shouted and sobbed, raising arms skyward, as the verdicts to the eight individual charges were read just before 4 p.m. “I love you!” one of them shouted to the jurors, who returned the verdicts after a few hours of deliberations. Sheriff's officers then asked them to return to order. When they wouldn't, Presiding Superior Court Judge Liliana DeAvila-Silebbi directed the officer to escort the group out of her courtroom. The trial started early this week and the state rested its case yesterday. The jury began deliberating this morning around 11:30am. At about 3:00pm jurors were given the option to continue deliberating on Monday since the courthouse was schedule to close because of the snowstorm hitting the east coast. Instead, the remained and returned with their verdict before 4:00pm. Harris took the stand yesterday and denied all of his accuser's accusations, which included receiving oral s-x for cash. was charged with seven counts of child abuse and with promoting pr0stitution. Had he not been acquitted, he would have faced up to 20 years in prison. However, this is just the first hurdle for Harris. He still has drug trafficking case against him in Rochester to deal with. Now that the New Jersey trial is over, early next week he will be extradited to the upstate city where is accused of being involved in pushing $2.5 million worth of heron and yayo. Smith took to Twitter and Instagram to share the news. "Truth always comes out...NOT GUILYY!!!!! [sic]," she tweeted. She then posted a photo of Mendeecees and his son (see next page) that read, "No matter how much they tried to rip you of your pride, defame your name, degrade you...you kept your faith in God and told me to keep my head up. So I did. Not Guilty! I say it again NOT GUILTY!!!!" |
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