Mel Gibson Pleads No Contest to Misdemeanor Battery Charge, Gets No Jail Time

By Tracey Harrington McCoy Posted Mar 11th 2011 08:20PM

After being officially charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly assaulting Oksana Grigorieva, his former girlfriend and mother to his 1-year-old daughter, Mel Gibson pled no contest in court Friday, RadarOnline.com reports.

The actor-director, 55, was charged after months of investigation by sheriff's detectives into a January 2010 incident where Gibson allegedly "willfully and unlawfully" used violence against Grigorieva during a heated argument.

Gibson got probation for three years and was ordered to attend 52 weeks of counseling in a domestic violence program. He was also ordered to do 16 hours of community service and pay a small fine. The judge said he would continue the psychological "treatment" he's currently receiving as well.

A protective order to stay away from Grigorieva was also handed over to the actor. His ex-girlfriend was not in the courtroom after waiving her right to appear.

When asked how he pled during the proceedings, Gibson responded, "No contest, pursuant to People v. West." This meant he did not express admission of guilt, only a consent to be punished as if guilty.

Gibson's attorney, Blair Berk, told the court that Gibson was pleading no contest to avoid a long trial and protect his children. "He's entering this plea because it was in the best interest of his children," Berk said.

Allegations that Gibson struck Grigorieva surfaced last summer after a series of explosive audio tirades between the actor and the Russian singer surfaced online. The rants contained racist and sexist taunts as well threats of violence. Gibson has not addressed the rants and has kept a low-profile in the months since they surfaced.

After numerous delays in the wake of the bad press surrounding the actor, Gibson's next film, the Jodie Foster-directed dramedy 'The Beaver,' is expected to be released later this year.

Tags: Mel Gibson

Comments

(23)

Friday 11 March

By bob parks

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Mel paid for her new teeth, so what's the big problem?

By travelergtoo

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Typical right wing reactionary.

Saturday 12 March

By Gary

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Who does Mel Gibson think he is...a Madison liberal?

By Lavender

What else is new?

By Trouble

What a slivering coward he is. . he can curse, smack around, and degrade his "girlfriend", and walks away. There is no justice, unless you're a celebrity.

By shauntavious

mels the man, go mel!

By BERNICE

HE. MEL GIBSON IS NOTHING MORE THAN A LOSER, AND WILL ALWAYS BE ONE. HE THINKS HIS S--T DONT STINK, AND WITH THAT ATTITUDE, HE WILL NEVER CHANGE, AS FOR CHARLIE SHEEN, THE TWO SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROTHERS. THEY WILL ALWAYS BE LOSERS.

By berg1928

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They are evil twins - separated at birth.

SOUNDS LIKE YALL JEALOUS OF MEL AND CHARLIE BERNICE. YALL NEED TO STOP HATING

By Nona

Poor Bernice. Call them losers every minute of every day you are awake - they will still have waaaay more money than you do!

Sunday 13 March

By usthatswho1

@Nona
At the end of the day, you think that money makes you a winner. That, Nona, makes you the loser!

By Johnny

This is for all of you losers that don't know squat about this crap. All this was was for her to milk him for money, the civil case will be next. You people want to put him down , what truely hurts you is he has more money than you can shack a stick at and you have to go to work at your mondane job and work by the sweat of your brow and in your whole life time, you will never make what he does in a day.

That's right! Blame the victim!

By Linda K

Money can't buy anyone a good character. Mel is so self-absorbed that he is unable to filter either his words or his actions. As long as he gets his way, nothing else matters to him, including the effects of his behavior on others. There are plenty of people who are rich and never exhibit the selfishness Mel displays daily. He is narcissitic.

By joan

Sorry Johnny, Grigorieva is by no means an angel, but Mel Gibson had been cheating on his wife for years, he is an alcoholic, he is a racist bigot, he is anti semitic and he is a disgrace to the Catholic church and he temper is out of control, especially if he is told he is wrong. I do not care how much money he has or makes, he deserves anything he gets for what he has done....

By Gayle Adcock

Where is NOW? He should be charged with a hate crime.

his exwife is a ho and deserved a smackdown you know what im saying?

By Szerena

Mel doesn't have an ex-wife yet. He's still technically married to Robyn his wife of over 30 years who had his 7 other kids and never once spoke publically about any of this scandal. She doesn't deserve your words. If you are talking about Oksana - they were never married, he just cheated on Robyn with her and got her pregnant. She may be the one deserving a smackdown but you see where accusing Mel of doing that landed him.....

Boy are you way off base... Mel cheated often on his wife, who is still married to him you see, and if anyone needed a smack down it is Mel Gibson of the big mouth, filthy mouth, racist mouth, alcoholic mouth, etc. She has been a quiet lady and good mother through all of this and deserves everything she can get from Mel....

NO ONE deserves a "smack down." Violence is used by those who can not control their emotions.

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