By AP Mar 30, 2022 6:46:14 AM IST (Updated)
If Smith were charged, he would face a misdemeanor battery count, which carries a penalty of up to 6 months in jail. Even if prosecuted and convicted, there are alternatives to going to court that could lead to a penalty as light as having to attend anger management classes.
Will Smith's slap seen round the world at the Oscars was clearly a crime, legal experts say, but the chances of prosecution are slim, and even if convicted he'd likely face little more than a slap of his own on the wrist.
Smith left millions of witnesses stunned on Sunday when he marched onto the stage of the Dolby Theatre and smacked Chris Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who was sitting with the actor in the front row.
The Los Angeles Police Department has said it was aware of the incident but was not investigating because Rock declined to file a police report.