Motorist Settles Civil Lawsuit Against Jack Nicholson

A Los Angeles man who sued actor Jack Nicholson for allegedly using a golf club to smash the windshield of his Mercedes-Benz during a traffic dispute has settled a lawsuit against the movie star, an attorney said Thursday.

Robert Scott Blank of Hollywood accused the Oscar-winning actor in a lawsuit filed last month in Los Angeles Superior Court of shattering his windshield and causing him to fear for his life.

The Feb. 8 incident began at a Studio City intersection when Nicholson got out of his car stopped at a red light and repeatedly struck the roof and windshield of Blank’s car because he believed Blank had cut him off in traffic, authorities said.

A settlement was reached in the civil case, according to Tina Levy, a secretary for Charles E. Ruben, the attorney representing Blank, who declined to return phone calls.

Levy said she could not elaborate on the details of the settlement, including the day it took place. However, according to court records, the lawsuit was dismissed March 3.

Nicholson, whose film credits include “A Few Good Men,” “Hoffa” and “The Shining,” still faces criminal charges stemming from the incident.

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office filed a complaint against the 57-year-old actor earlier this month charging him with one count of vandalism and one count of assault. He is scheduled to be arraigned March 31.

Charles English, an attorney representing Nicholson, declined to comment on whether the settlement of the civil case would affect the outcome of the criminal charges filed against his client.

Despite recent accusations that his golf swing was employed on the wrong side of the law, Nicholson is scheduled to serve as celebrity host of the 23rd Police-Celebrity Golf Tournament. Funds raised at the May 14 event will benefit the families of slain, sick or injured officers.