Mel Gibson reaches plea deal on battery against ex Oksana Grigorieva, says source

(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - After months of heated exchanges and confrontations, Mel Gibson has decided fly his white flag and accept a plea agreement arranged by prosecutors, who plan to file a misdemeanor battery charge against the Oscar winner over a fight last year with his then-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, a source close to the case said Wednesday.

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Although details of the agreement have not been released to the public, the plea could let the actor-director avoid jail time.

Gibson, 55, will plead guilty in court Friday afternoon in front of Judge Stephanie Sautner, on charges which stem from a dispute between Gibson and Grigorieva in January 2010, reports Radar Online.

Detectives began their investigation into the domestic abuse allegations in July 2010 after Grigorieva accused Gibson of punching her and threatening her with a gun during an altercation at his home in Malibu.

Grigorieva released a series of racist and profanity-laced recordings which seriously damaged Gibson's already tarnished public image.

Gibson's attorney Blair Berk said in a written statement that Gibson sought an agreement to resolve the case with his children in mind.

"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," Berk's statement reads. "That is particularly so for Mel, whose right to due process can only be exercised in this case with an enormous media circus attached."

The fact that reports say the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has decided to pursue extortion charges against Grigorieva may have also played a part in Gibson's decision to reach an agreement.

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