SAN FERNANDO : Girlfriend of Rick James Given 4 Years in Assault
Tanya Anne Hijazi, the girlfriend of singer Rick James, was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison for her role in the assault and torture of two women.
San Fernando Superior Court Judge Michael R. Hoff nevertheless left open the possibility that Hijazi and James could be married next month, when the entertainer is sentenced.
James, best known for his 1981 hit “Super Freak,” faces up to nine years in prison after being convicted Friday on three of 14 charges stemming from the abuse of two women.
Hijazi, 23, pleaded guilty last month to a single count of assault with a deadly weapon.
She had asked that her sentencing be delayed so that she could spend more time with her and James’ 16-month-old son and to make arrangements to marry the singer, who was jailed upon his conviction.
Hoff said Hijazi could return to court Oct. 8 for James’ sentencing and to possibly get married--though not by Hoff. The judge called the pending marriage a “farce” and said he would not perform the ceremony. “You’ll have to figure out some other way to do it,” he said.
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