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Will Smith, a right, punches Chris Rock onstage during the Oscars ceremony, Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello).
The slap that Will Smith gave him The shooting of Chris Rock at the Oscars was clearly a crime, legal experts say, but the chances of prosecution are slim, and even if he is found guilty he would likely face little more than a yank. ears.
Smith let stunned millions of witnesses on Sunday when he climbed onto the stage of the Dolby Theater and hit the comedian in the face after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who was sitting with the actor in the front row.
The Los Angeles Police Department said it was aware of the incident but was not investigating because Rock refused. to file a police report.
While police technically could open an investigation based on the Academy Awards telecast, they wouldn’t without Rock’s involvement, defense attorney Alan Jackson said. former Los Angeles County prosecutor who oversaw high-profile cases.
Would they do that in a practical world if Chris Rock says, ‘I won’t cooperate? with a criminal investigation’? Not in a million years,” Jackson said. “The Los Angeles police are probably heaving a relative sigh of relief at not having to get involved with two prominent actors facing off on a world stage”.
The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office, which prosecutes misdemeanors, is denied He said he couldn’t press charges without a police report.
“If he is charged, he couldn’t say what that would be the charge”, spokesman Rob Wilcox said.
News stories about celebrities in trouble have been common in Los Angeles since the early days of Hollywood, frequently raising questions about whether the rich and powerful receive a different kind of justice.
“ Unfortunately, the celebrity thing comes into play,” former Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley said. “If an ordinary person were to commit this act in front of a police officer, could he walk away? no more? Probably not”.
Failure to charge Smith could jeopardize the credibility of the justice system, said Jody Armour, a law professor at the University of Southern California.
“How is it possible that what appears to be an obvious criminal act committed publicly has no criminal consequences?” he asked. Armour. “Are different standards applied to celebrities and non-celebrities? Apparently, we all seem to recognize that to be the case. But what? What does that recognition tell us about the legitimacy and credibility of our criminal justice system?”.
While celebrities can use their status to influence decision-makers, their fame can work against them if the The prosecutor decides to use a crime committed by someone known to give an example.
“I’d be surprised if the city attorney didn’t take it seriously because it was so public,” said Alison Triessl, a criminal defense attorney who has handled many misdemeanor assault cases. “Are they sending the wrong message if they dont process it?”
Triessl said that there is no doubt that a crime was committed. It is a crime and that it is not necessary for the victim to file a complaint. Charges are routinely filed in cases of domestic violence without the cooperation of the victim because the crime is against the state for violating its penal code.
“Send a message that you can commit a crime and you will not be punished,” he said. “It’s a very wrong message.”
Defense attorney Adam Braun said it’s unrealistic for Smith to face charges in the absence of serious injuries and without Rock’s support.< /p>
“Although a prosecution is not likely, the wild card here is is that the evidence is overwhelming and millions of people witnessed the incident live & rdquo ;, said Braun. “Prosecutors might feel compelled to prosecute Will Smith, regardless of Chris Rocks preference, to avoid creating the impression that a wealthy actor is out to get him. above the law.”
If Smith were charged, he would face misdemeanor assault,which carries a sentence of up to six months in prison. Even if you are prosecuted and convicted, you are unlikely to face incarceration, and there are alternatives to going to court that could lead to a lesser penalty, such as having to attend anger management classes.
< Cooley said that if Smith were his client, he would tell him to voluntarily enroll in anger classes and then try to convince prosecutors not to press charges in the interest of justice because he had admitted his problem and was dealing with it.
Cooley said he would like more information about the case as a prosecutor before making any decisions. She said the Los Angeles police got ahead of her. He backed the facts by announcing that he would not intervene.
Stephen Downing, a retired Los Angeles police deputy chief, said a case could be made. But he said it was reasonable not to waste resources when Rock apparently wasn’t hurt or irritated enough to file a complaint.
& ldquo; as if nothing had happened to him”, Downing said. “He didnt even take a hand to the cheek. There did not appear to be an injury. If I had knocked him to the ground and knocked him unconscious, I think action would have been taken.”