Mel Gibson reportedly gets plea deal with no jail time
(CBS/AP) Actor Mel Gibson has made an agreement with prosecutors for a plea deal stemming from his domestic arrest last year, TMZ is reporting Wednesday, and the actor could avoid jail time.
Sources in the Los Angeles County District Attorney office told the website that Gibson will appear in court on Friday and plead no contest to a reduced charge of misdemeanor battery on his former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.
A source with knowledge of the case but who is not authorized to speak publicly told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity the deal will involve counseling but no jail time.
The person says prosecutors have not yet announced a decision on whether to charge Grigorieva with extortion, which Gibson has been seeking..
The actor-director's attorney, Blair Berk, said Gibson sought the plea agreement after prioritizing the interests of his children, including an infant daughter with Grigorieva. The Oscar-winner, 55, was accused of domestic violence against Grigorieva. The pair have been engaged in a very public and bitter custody fight over their 16-month-old daughter, Lucia.
The actor's lawyer, Blair Berk, released a statement to the website, saying, "I know from almost 20 years as a criminal defense lawyer that sometimes justice can come for a client at too high a personal price. That is particularly so for Mel, whose right to due process can only be exercised in this case with an enormous media circus attached."