Prosecutors reject extortion case involving Mel Gibson
Citing insufficent evidence, the L.A. County district attorney's office said Friday it would not charge Mel Gibson's ex-girlfriend with attempted extortion.
The L.A. County Sheriff's Department spent months looking into whether Gibson hit ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva and launched a separate but related probe into whether someone tried to extort money from Gibson.
Gibson pleaded no contest Wednesday to a single misdemeanor count of domestic violence and as part of the agreement with prosecutors will receive no jail time.
According to prosecutors, the alleged extortion attempt took place March 15, 2010, but they did not provide additional details about what transpired.
"There is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the crime of attempted extortion was committed," prosecutors said in a sentence that described their reasoning for rejecting the case.
Last year, L.A. County sheriff's detectives began investigating allegations by Grigorieva that Gibson hurt her and their child and expanded that inquiry to include allegations that Grigorieva tried to extort money from him in connection with a series of taped phone calls and allegations of domestic abuse.
The extortion investigation centered around audio clips released by Radar Online in which Gibson told Grigorieva that she "deserved" to be hit.
Gibson also uses derogatory terms for women, Latinos and African Americans in the recording made without the "Lethal Weapon" star's permission.
In California, both parties must consent to have a phone conversation recorded. Under normal circumstances, legal experts said, that would make the Gibson tapes unusable in court and their recording potentially a crime.
ALSO:
Mel Gibson accused of 'willfully and unlawfully' using violence against girlfriend, D.A. charges
Mel Gibson domestic-violence charge to be filed Friday afternoon
Photo: Mel Gibson photographed at Casa Del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica on Jan. 16, 2010. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times
EDITOR'S PICKS:
Hold it she held tapes for exposure unless she got millions in return -- how is that not extortion??
To me the connection of her attorney and his contributions to the campaign fund of the District Attorney...played a BIG ROLE here.
Posted by: police are corrupt | March 11, 2011 at 01:06 PM
A Scorned Woman, she wanted "M O N E Y" She is getting off to easy, Just like Samson and Dalilah, Mel fell into her trap and showered her with fake boobs, lips, teeth and whatever else fake, and she got crazy when he refused to give more!
Posted by: Mrs OS | March 11, 2011 at 02:54 PM
Why do we have to see "news" like this? Who CARES what these idiot actors do? And why in the world would we care what politician they back or anything they advocate? They are just actors, a group that Shakespeare himself called carneys and criminals. They were dodging the police just a century ago.
Posted by: Ms. Exasperated | March 11, 2011 at 04:43 PM
What is so sad is that the show was amazing... Charlie Sheen is a drug atick and needs phycontic help he is a walking, talking dead man.... I await his obit.... unfortunately
Posted by: sharie bland | March 11, 2011 at 08:57 PM
Well Mr. Gibson, I certainly hope that cheating and leaving your wife of so many years along with breaking the catholic commandment was well worth it. So disappointed in you.
I use to like you as an actor with high respects.
Posted by: Denise | March 11, 2011 at 10:41 PM
Umm, Sharie Bland, this is Mel Gibson, not Charlie Sheen. Also, your English disability is astounded. Atick = Addict... I don't even know what phycontic is...
Posted by: midnightsun | March 11, 2011 at 11:37 PM
No jail time? That is so wrong!!!
Hmmm...I have the perfect solution.
Stick Mel, Charlie Sheen and Lindsey Lohan in a single cell with no windows, no furniture (except for a single toilet) and keep them there together for nine months...
Posted by: Marcia Twane | March 12, 2011 at 01:06 AM
Now then Mel .... see what happens when you marry a Russian hooker .
Posted by: Nils | March 12, 2011 at 06:25 AM
I have to agree with Ms Exasperated. They are actors! The are the worst role models a person could attach themselves too. They pretend for a living and they bring this into their personal life. They are not to be emulated but pitied.
They also work around the most liberal crowd of people anywhere on the planet, while they make an obscene amount of money pretending to be someone / something they are not. The get spoiled by the media and by idiots who will idolize them no matter what, which makes them think that their idiotic ideas matter.
They are nut cases as a norm and normal as a RARE exception. What thy hell do we care what they do in their personal life?
Posted by: Crossbow | March 12, 2011 at 08:54 AM