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Despite cries by some that justice is not being served, the U.S. District Court is considering reducing the prison term of Berkeley real estate tycoon Lakireddy Bali Reddy, who was imprisoned for smuggling underage girls into the country for prostitution and cheap labor. 

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken is expected to rule today on whether to shave nearly two years off Reddy’s eight-year sentence. Reddy’s attorney, Ted Cassman, argues in court papers filed Sept. 18 that new evidence casts doubt on Reddy’s prosecution and is grounds for a lighter prison term. 

In October 2001, four months after Reddy’s sentencing, federal prosecutors found that court interpreter Uma Rao had encouraged four of Reddy’s six victims to embellish testimony against Reddy family members involved in the illegal immigration ring. Because of Rao, Cassman has requested the court to reduce Reddy’s sentence by one year and seven months. 

Today’s hearing comes just days after 11 Indian citizens, many victims of Reddy’ immigration scheme, filed a class action suit in Alameda County Superior Court seeking $100 million from Reddy and his family. 

“We want to obtain redress,” said attorney Michael Rubin, who represents the plaintiffs. “We have people whose fundamental right to be free from forced sex and labor has been violated.” 

Among the plaintiffs are Jarmani and Lakshmi Prattipati, the parents of 17-year-old Chanti Prattipati who died of carbon monoxide poisoning Nov. 24, 1999, in a Berkeley apartment owned by Reddy. Chanti’s younger sister, who shared the apartment with her sibling, brought the Reddy story to police, which lead to the charges against Reddy and four family members. 

Reddy’s brother and sister-in-law, Jayaprakash and Annapurna Lakireddy, have pleaded guilty to visa fraud; neither is doing prison time. Reddy’s son Vijay Lakireddy pleaded guilty to one count of visa fraud and awaits sentencing. Reddy’s younger son, Prasad Lakireddy, still awaits trial on charges of illegally importing girls to the country for “immoral purposes.” 

Reddy is currently serving the first of his eight-year sentence. 

“I’m outraged that [Judge Wilken] is considering a lighter sentence,” said Diana Russell, a women’s rights activist and professor at Mills College in Oakland. “This is a guy who was trafficking in underage girls and raping them for 15 years... And one of the girls ended up dead.” 

Reddy’s attorneys did not return phone calls. 

The request to reduce Reddy’s prison term, in light of the questionable testimony, was approved by the U.S. Attorney’s office. Wilken, though, has final say on the matter.