Mel Gibson Expected To Plead 'No Contest' Friday To Misdemeanor Battery
March 11 2011, Published 9:15 a.m. ET
Mel Gibson is expected to plead 'no contest' Friday afternoon in Airport Court in Los Angeles to a misdemeanor battery charge as part of a plea bargain related to a domestic violence incident involving his then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva back in January, 2010. The court appearance is at 1:30 p.m. PT
A source close to the case told Breaking Celebrity News, "The battery charge against Mel will officially be filed on Friday morning.
“Oksana could speak at Mel's hearing on Friday afternoon,” the source said. “She could make a victim's impact statement, but at this point, it doesn't seem likely that she will appear.”
Legal experts say Gibson could have faced a more serious charge of 'corporal injury on a spouse', which, if convicted, could have involved fines, jail or prison time, and court-ordered counseling.
In exchange for Gibson's 'no contest' plea to the simple battery charge, he is not expected to serve any jail time.
According to Gibson's attorney Blair Berk, the father-of-eight has decided to take this route out of respect to his kids.
EXCLUSIVE FIRST PHOTOS: The Injury To Oksana's Teeth
"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 said in a statement Wednesday