Los Angeles man James Otis reached a plea deal on Tuesday that will see him avoid jail time on vandalism charges for destroying Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year.
Otis reportedly pleaded no contest and was ordered by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office to pay $700 to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which maintains the famous strip on Sunset Boulevard, and another $3,700 to the Hollywood Historic Trust.
According to TMZ, the deal included no jail time, but Otis was ordered to serve three years of probation and 20 days of Caltrans work.
In October, Otis dressed as a construction worker and destroyed Trump’s star with a pick-ax in a pre-dawn incident that was caught on camera. The 53-year-old, who described himself as a “Bernie Democrat,” later told Deadline Hollywood that he was willing to go to jail for his crime.
Repair work on Trump’s star began within a week of its destruction.
I'm here at the site of the defaced Donald Trump star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. LA City workers started the repair process fairly quickly pic.twitter.com/eQGMOhGZkM
— Adelle Malka Nazarian (@AdelleNaz) October 26, 2016
The star — which Trump was awarded in 2007 for his work on NBC’s The Apprentice — became a flashpoint for both protesters and Trump supporters during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Less than a week before Election Day, a homeless woman guarding Trump’s star from would-be vandals was harassed and assaulted by a group of anti-Trump protesters.
The star had also previously been defaced with graffiti and swastikas.
The day after Trump won the election, his fans gathered around the Hollywood star to celebrate his historic victory over Hillary Clinton.
TMZ reported in late November that the star would be subject to “Secret Service” level of protection.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
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