WSVN-TV Ch. 7 NEWS February 21, 2003
Rapper Juvenile Pleads Guilty To
Battery, Gets Community Service
02/21/2003
MIAMI -- The rapper Juvenile pleaded guilty to felony battery Friday and was sentenced to 75 hours of community service for hitting a man on the head with a champagne bottle and grabbing a police officer during a brawl two years ago outside a comedy club.
Juvenile, whose real name is Terius Gray, will also be on unsupervised probation for one year, donate $5,000 to a local children's charity and pay $782 in court costs as part of a plea deal. If he violates his probation, he would face a possible five years in prison.
"I'm good, man" Juvenile told reporters as he left the courtroom, declining further comment.
The 28-year-old New Orleans resident had faced a possible 15-year sentence on the original charges of aggravated battery, battery on a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence.
Prosecutor Teresa Williams said she agreed to the deal because none of the other brawlers had been arrested.
On March 28, 2001, four fights started outside the comedy club, including one where Juvenile hit Jackson Saint Ange with a bottle of Moet champagne, knocking him unconscious.
Witnesses told police that Saint Ange had approached Juvenile during the show and was disrespectful.
After the fight, Juvenile ran over to a police officer, grabbed him and yelled obscenities, saying he wanted to be arrested rather than another person whom officers had detained.
Saint Ange's attorney Andrew Boros told Judge Bertila Soto that his client agreed with the plea deal and had received an undisclosed payment from Juvenile to settle a civil lawsuit.
Juvenile's hits include "Ha" and "Back That Thang Up." (AP)
Mid-Trial Offer of Probation for Client
