Mel Gibson pleads no contest to battery charge

LOS ANGELES – Mel Gibson used some lightning legal moves Friday to abruptly end a domestic violence case involving a fight last year with his then-girlfriend.

Within hours, Gibson was charged with misdemeanor spousal battery and pleaded no contest in a deal with prosecutors that kept him out of jail.
In a separate case, prosecutors announced they found insufficient evidence to pursue Gibson's extortion allegations against Oksana Grigorieva, the victim in the battery case and the mother of Gibson's infant daughter.
As part of the plea deal, Gibson will spend three years on probation, undergo a year of domestic violence counseling, and perform 16 hours of community service.
If he complies and doesn't get into further trouble, he won't have to make another court appearance in the case.
Gibson, 55, dressed in a blue suit and blue striped shirt, said little during the brief hearing beyond acknowledging his rights and the terms of the plea deal.
Grigorieva did not attend the proceeding.