Donald Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski could be facing up to a year in prison if he’s found guilty of the charges filed against him by Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields, a Florida law professor tells TheWrap.
“This could be a serious issue if found guilty,” Dr. Mary Anne Franks, law professor at the University of Miami School of Law, told TheWrap. “We’re talking about somebody assaulting another person.”
According to Franks, the legal definition of misdemeanor battery is “to actually and intentionally touch or strike another person against their will.”
Franks says the maximum penalty for the charge is up to one year in jail but she says if it’s a first-time offense, it’s “very likely” prosecutors won’t seek jail time.
But that doesn’t mean Lewandowski is off the hook. According to Franks, prosecutors may decide to seek jail time because this is a high-profile case.
Fields alleges that on March 8, Lewandowski forcibly yanked her after she tried to ask Trump a question.
An eyewitness account from Washington Post reporter Ben Terris, who was near Fields when the alleged incident happened corroborated her version of events. But Lewandowski denied any wrongdoing, calling Fields “delusional.”
But authorities in Jupiter, Florida, where the alleged incident took place, don’t seem to buy Lewandowski’s version of the events.
A video released by the Jupiter police department on Tuesday, seems to show Lewandowski grabbing Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields’ arm.
According to the police report obtained by TheWrap, Fields showed her bruises to the police officer who took her statement, which, according to the report, “appeared to be several finger marks indicating a grabbing type injury.”
The officer concludes that based on his investigation, there is “probable cause” to charge Lewandoski.