The defendants in the Kim Kardashian robbery trial owe a considerable debt of gratitude to the Paris criminal court judges, the jurors, their lawyers and their primary victim. On Friday, May 23, after a long day of deliberations, the judges delivered a verdict that was both clear, legally sound and humane. Most of the defense attorneys, working under publicly funded legal aid, spared neither time nor expertise in mounting a rigorous defense against the prosecution's claims and succeeded in securing two acquittals. As for Kardashian, her restrained and composed testimony, along with her gesture of partial forgiveness, helped maintain a calm tone in court.

None of the convicted defendants will return to prison. The sentences handed down – ranging from four to eight years' imprisonment – were either partially or fully suspended, taking into account time already served in pre-trial detention, along with a probationary suspension that includes several obligations.

The six jurors and three professional judges brought nuance and made significant corrections to the sensational and widely publicized story of the armed robbery committed on the night of October 3, 2016. Their verdict focused on the essentials: They upheld the investigation by the brigade de Répression du Banditisme (special police anti-gang unit) regarding the direct perpetrators of the armed robbery and kidnapping of the American celebrity. The court was convinced that Aomar Aït Khedache, Yunice Abbas, Didier Dubreucq and Marc-Alexandre Boyer were among the men who entered the Hôtel No Address at 3 am, where Kardashian was staying.

You have 79.84% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.