Hollywood superstar (and alleged “actual” cannibal) Shia LeBeouf was arrested earlier this year at a Mardi Gras celebration after the festivities turned a little too “fistive.” Accused of punching someone several times, he was taken into custody. While there were some details on the consequences he’d face — he was ordered by a judge to go to rehab — the exact charges to be brought against him were still in the air. During the assault, LeBeouf was heard yelling homophobic slurs toward the victim, warranting Jeffrey Damnit and others to think that he should have been charged with a hate crime. Despite the video evidence of LeBeouf calling Damnit a slur and threatening to kill him, the prosecution opted for lesser battery charges that LeBeouf pleaded guilty to. NBC News has coverage:
LaBeouf pleaded guilty to three counts of simple battery. Orleans Parish Judge Juana Marine-Lombard handed the actor a six-month suspended sentence and two years’ probation. LaBeouf also must stay away from the victims and the bar.
Chervinsky said LaBeouf wanted “to take accountability for his part in what happened” and called it a “minor Mardi Gras bar tussle.” Chervinsky said there was “no evidence it was about bias or prejudice.”
Did she not see the video? Or does video evidence of calling someone a slur while punching them not rise to the level of evidence in Louisiana? I know the laws there are a little wonky because of the French and Spanish common law influence, but to say there was no evidence seems hyperbolic.
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Considering what can happen to people for picking up water bottles or having fake $20s in this country, getting caught punching someone on video and walking away with a suspended sentence and a finger wag is pretty lucky. Staying away from that bar and a specific person can be a heavy toll in a small town with a limited population of people and watering holes, but skipping over one bar for next year’s bar hopping hardly seems like a real punishment.
Hopefully LeBeouf gets the LeHelp he needs to make this battery charge his last one.
Shia LaBeouf Gets Probation After Pleading Guilty To Punching Mardi Gras Bargoers [NBC News]
Earlier: Judge Orders Shia LaBeouf To Rehab After Mardi Gras Brawl
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Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boat builder who is learning to swim and is interested in rhetoric, Spinozists and humor. Getting back in to cycling wouldn’t hurt either. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by Tweet/Bluesky at @WritesForRent.