Rooney Won’t Be Charged With Abuse

Ventura County prosecutors have decided not to file domestic abuse charges against entertainer Mickey Rooney, who was arrested last month on suspicion of beating his wife.

The 76-year-old actor and comedian was scheduled to appear in Ventura County Municipal Court on Tuesday morning for arraignment.

But neither he nor his attorney were present when Deputy Dist. Atty. Patrice Koenig told a judge that prosecutors had decided not to file battery charges after reviewing the case.

“There wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove it,” Koenig explained outside the courtroom.

Rooney was arrested at his Westlake Village home Feb. 9 after his eighth wife, Jan, called police to report being hit by her husband, authorities said.

When two Ventura County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived, they noticed bruising on Jan Rooney’s arm, and she told them that Mickey Rooney had grabbed her and hit her during a fight the day before, authorities said.

Rooney was arrested on suspicion of spousal battery, a felony offense. After an interview with sheriff’s officials, he posted $10,000 bail at the east valley sheriff’s station and returned home, authorities said.

Koenig said prosecutors interviewed Jan Rooney as part of their evaluation of the case. But she declined to comment on whether Jan Rooney had asked that charges not be filed against her husband.