Sean Penn has pleaded no contest to charges of vandalism for kicking a paparazzi last year, and was sentenced to probation and community service, according to the Los Angeles city attorney’s office.
Future hours that the Oscar-winning actor spends on his well-publicized relief efforts in Haiti can count toward his sentence, city attorney’s spokesman Frank Mateljan told TheWrap.
Penn did not attend Wednesday’s hearing, instead entering the no-contest plea through his attorney. The sentence includes three years of probation and 300 hours of community service.
In February, Penn was charged with misdemeanor battery and vandalism for the caught-on-tape skirmish with a photographer.
If Penn violates the terms of his probation, he runs the risk of serving jail time, Mateljan said. The maximum sentence for a misdemeanor of this nature is six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
