Russell Brand facing charges over iPhone tossing incident
British funny man Russell Brand will be charged with a misdemeanor in New Orleans for throwing a photographer’s iPhone through a window back in March.
According to reports, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office has finally decided to go forward with the case and prosecute “Get Him to the Greek” star Russell Brand. They are reported to be filing one charge of misdemeanor criminal damage to property against the English comedian.
New Orleans Municipal Court spokesman Baptiste Souquet said that 37-year-old Russell Brand was scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday before Judge Sean Early. It was unclear if the actor will be present in the courtroom, or if his attorney will be allowed to enter a plea on his behalf.
As previous reports have stated, Russell Brand was arrested by the New Orleans police on March 15 after a photographer accused him of snatching his iPhone and throwing it through the window of a nearby building, resulting in a broken glass in a downtown law office. Brand then turned himself in to the authorities and explained his actions on his Twitter account, writing, “Since Steve Jobs died I cannot bear to see anyone use an iphone irreverently, what I did was a tribute to his memory.”
Bail was set at $5,000 for Russell Brand and he was released shortly after he was arrested.
In case he is convicted, Brand faces six months behind the cold bars of prison.
The charge of simple criminal damage to property valued under $500 carries a potential penalty of up to six months in prison and/or a $500 fine. People familiar with similar cases say it is unlikely that Russell Brand will face jail time.
This is not the first time the comedian had a run-in with the law. Back in 2010, he was arrested for an alleged attack on a paparazzi at a Los Angeles airport, while last year, he was deported from Japan over his criminal history when he attempted to pay a visit to his then-wife Katy Perry on her concert tour in the country.