Local News in Brief : Belushi Charges Dropped
A judge Wednesday dismissed misdemeanor assault and battery charges against actor Jim Belushi after a man he allegedly attacked told the court that Belushi had financially compensated him for his injuries.
West Los Angeles Municipal Judge Sherman Smith dismissed the case under a California law that gives a judge the authority to drop misdemeanor charges if the victim testifies that he has been compensated to his satisfaction.
The amount of the compensation was not disclosed in court, said Mike Qualls, a spokesman for the city attorney’s office, which prosecuted the case.
Qualls added that his office will review the dismissal and may appeal it.
Prosecutors said Belushi, 32, allegedly attacked a pedestrian who had spat on a car he was driving in Westwood last January.
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