Story highlights
Prosecutors found "no reasonable prospect" of convicting Bieber, official says
Singer was accused of hitting limo driver in the head in Toronto
All of his January arrests have now been resolved
Bieber faces a new assault charge recently in another Ontario case
The charge that Justin Bieber assaulted his limo driver in Toronto in December has been dropped.
Prosecutors decided there was “no reasonable prospect” of convicting Bieber of striking his limo driver on the back of his head, said Brendan Crawley, a spokesman for the Ontario attorney general’s office.
The dismissal comes just days after Bieber, 20, was arrested on a new assault charge in an alleged fight with a minivan driver in Canada.
Bieber’s attorneys have been busy this year following three arrests in January, but all of those cases have been resolved now.
Trouble seems to pursue the high-profile singer. He’s been accused of trying to take cell phones from people photographing him in public spots, but no charges have resulted after police investigations. His bodyguards have also faced charges and lawsuits after clashes with people following Bieber.
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The singer settled a drunken driving charge in Miami last month by making a $50,000 donation to a youth charity. The plea deal, which reduced the charge to careless driving, requires Bieber to get 12 hours of anger management counseling and attend a program that teaches about the impact of drunken driving on victims.
In July, the pop star accepted another plea deal in a Los Angeles vandalism charge connected with the January egging of his neighbor’s house, receiving two years’ probation.He must also complete 12 weekly anger management sessions, work five days of community labor and pay $80,900 in restitution to his former neighbor.
The Toronto arrest came in late January over an alleged incident a month earlier as Bieber rode in a limousine to a nightclub after attending a hockey game.
Bieber was charged with assault and accused of striking his limousine driver on the back of the head several times on the way to the club.
The case slowly made its way through Toronto’s criminal court system, ending with Monday’s decision. “After completing a thorough review and, in consultation with the police, the Crown determined that there was no reasonable prospect of conviction,” Crawley said. “Accordingly, the charge against Mr. Bieber was withdrawn.”
Lawyer: Bieber’s ‘peaceful retreat’interrupted
Bieber’s most recent brush with the law came August 29 in Perth County, Ontario, where his father lives.
The singer and girlfriend Selena Gomez were riding in an ATV when paparazzi interrupted their “peaceful retreat,” according to his attorney Brian Greenspan.
“Investigation revealed that after colliding, the driver of the ATV and an occupant of the minivan engaged in a physical altercation,” Ontario provincial police spokesman Kees Wijnands said.
Bieber’s attorney said people with cameras were chasing the singer when the incident happened.
Bieber was released on “a promise to appear” and ordered to answer the charges at a September 29 hearing, Wijnands said.
The alleged victims hired Los Angeles lawyer Gloria Allred, who also represents a woman who accused Bieber of assaulting her at a Hollywood tourist spot when she tried to take a photo of him with her cell phone.
“This is a serious matter that could have an impact on Mr. Bieber’s probation status in California,” Allred said in a statement last week to CNN. “I have also made contact on my clients’ behalf with the Hollywood branch of the Los Angeles Police Department to make them aware of these new charges.”
It would be up to a California judge to decide if the Canadian arrest warrants a probation revocation hearing, according to the spokeswoman for the Los Angeles prosecutor.
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CNN’s Marlena Baldacci contributed to this report.
