Recent Posts in Battery Category

Last year on Oct. 12, Oscar-winning actor, Sean Penn, attacked a photographer on a residential street in Brentwood, California. The actor was caught on video, which showed him breaking the photographer's camera and kicking him in the legs.

Initially, Penn was charged with battery and vandalism and was facing a maximum of 18 months behind bars if convicted.  Penn's Los Angeles criminal defense attorney was able to establish a plea deal with prosecutors and end the battery case against him.  On Wednesday, May 12, 2010 the actor pleaded no contest to a vandalism charge as part of the plea deal.

Penn has been sentenced to 36 months of probation and 300 hours of community service. He will also have to undergo 36 hours of anger management classes and stay at least 100 yards away from the victim, Jordan Dawes.

If the actor successfully completes all of the terms of his sentence, he will be able to reduce his criminal charge of vandalism to disturbance of the peace, which is considered a less severe crime.

If you or someone you know has been charged with Battery or Vandalism, contact Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Robert M. Bernstein today.

Christopher Thompson, a 60-year-old physician, was arrested on July 4, 2008 after driving his car in front of two bicyclists and slamming on his brakes; causing one to break his teeth and nose on Thompson's car, and leaving the other with a separated shoulder after hitting the sidewalk. According to police reports, Thompson had stated that he had caused the accident in order to "teach them a lesson."

In November of 2009, Thompson was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court of several felony charges including reckless driving, assault with a deadly weapon, battery and mayhem. The Judge noted that Thompson had not shown sufficient remorse for his act of violence throughout the trial. He subsequently sentenced Thompson to 5 years in prison.

If you or someone you know has been charged with Assault, Battery or Mayhem, contact Robert M. Bernstein today. Attorney Bernstein and his staff will thoroughly review the circumstances of your arrest to determine exactly how to best defend your case. Call for a free consultation today.

Kanye West has been charged with three criminal misdemeanor offenses. The musician faces charges of vandalism, battery and grand theft stemming from a run-in with a cameraman in the Los Angeles Airport last September. West's manager Don Crowley has also been charged with two counts each of vandalism, battery and grand theft. Back in September, West reportedly broke a camera light on the equipment belonging to paparazzi while they were shooting footage of him in a public area of the airport. Crowley is accused of breaking both the video camera and a still camera also on scene. If found convicted and sentenced to the maximum, Kanye West faces up to two and a half years in jail while Crowley faces up to five. Both men are scheduled to be arraigned on April 14th in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Rap Star T.I. sentenced to prison in Federal Criminal Case

Rap star T.I. was sentenced in Federal Court in Atlanta, GA to serve one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay a $100,300 fine on weapons charges related to his purchase of machine guns and silencers. The rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris, reached the terms of the sentence in a plea agreement with prosecutors last year. T.I. / Harris also was sentenced to some property forfeiture, supervised release for three years after his prison sentence, 365 days of home confinement and 1,500 hours of community service. He has already served 305 days of home confinement and 1,030 hours of service. In addition to his prison sentence, the rapper must also undergo DNA testing and drug counseling, he cannot own firearms and must submit to law enforcement searches without a warrant. The Rapper's sentence was a result of a plea bargain, if he not reached a plea deal he could have been facing up to a maximum of 10 years in Federal Prison.

T.I. / Harris was arrested in October 2007 in an Atlanta parking lot hours before he was to perform at the BET Award show. Harris was caught in a federal sting after his bodyguard-turned-informant delivered three machine guns and two silencers to him, prosecutors said. The rapper had provided the bodyguard with $12,000 to buy the weapons. Harris was already not allowed to posses and firearms as a result of his previous 1998 on felony drug conviction -- possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute.