Shepard Fairey enters guilty plea in criminal case with AP

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Shepard Fairey, the Los Angeles street artist, has entered a guilty plea in his criminal case with the Associated Press. The artist pled guilty in a New York court to one count of criminal contempt for destroying documents, manufacturing evidence and other misconduct in his case involving his ‘Hope’ poster of Barack Obama.

Fairey admitted in 2009 to destroying documents and submitting false images in his legal battle with the AP. The news organization had accused Fairey of improperly using an AP photo of Obama in his ‘Hope’ poster. Fairey claimed that he was covered by fair-use laws.

In 2011, the artist settled his civil case with the AP out of court.

A sentencing date has been set for July 16. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a release that the artist faces a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a maximum term of supervised release of one year. He also faces a maximum fine of $5,000.

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-- David Ng