Kanye West Assault Case Plea Deal: Yeezus Rapper Ordered Anger Mangement and Probation for 24 Months
Kanye West pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery against photographer Daniel Ramos at Los Angeles International Airport in a special plea in which he will not be prosecuted, maintaining his innocence.
West finally cut a deal on the case since July by agreeing to 24 sessions of anger management therapy, 24 months of probation and 250 hours of community service to make the case disappear from his record on Monday. However, he was not present at the Los Angeles courthouse.
The Yeezus rapper made the plea in exchange for having the attempted grand theft charge being dropped. "Kanye was placed on 24 months informal probation -- meaning he just has to keep his nose clean," a source said. "At the end of the 24 months, assuming he hasn't violated probation, the conviction will almost certainly be erased from his record."
Commissioner Alan Rubin oversaw the proceedings -- West was asked not to engage with Ramos again, and he will have to pay for his camera and any medical bills the victim faced after an ambulance was called to the scene.
Daniel Ramos was in court and asked that Kanye West be sent to jail. He admitted that he had suffered trauma and emotional injuries, and claimed that the Chicago rapper used the attack to promote his most recent album, Yeezus. The photographer will be filing a civil suit against West with lawyer Gloria Allred.
"If Mr. West does not comply with terms and conditions of probation -- in the court's words -- he is not going to make special dispensation to a celebrity," Allred stated. "Danny and I believe Kanye West should have been sent to jail. He showed no remorse for attacking Mr. Ramos, in fact, he's bragging about it."
"Danny and I feel Mr. West should have been required to show up in court today ... Kanye seems to think this is a big joke. West is not above the law," she continued. "We are glad that Mr. West did enter a plea, but we do think the sentence handed down today was not sufficient."
"It's time for him to stop making excuses, he needs to take responsibility," Allred added. "His deposition is not going to be fun and games for him."