A new report says prosecutors are ready to file criminal charges against Mel Gibson for hitting Oksana Grigorieva, the mother of his daughter Lucia.
The L.A. District Attorney granted Gibson’s lawyer, Blair Berk, a last-ditch meeting late Tuesday, as she sought to persuade authorities against it.
Deputy D.A. John Lynch met with Berk at the courthouse for close to two hours, but reports suggest charges against Mel are almost inevitable.
Specifically, the charge of domestic violence / corporal injury involving his former cohabitant is looming for the Oscar-winning actor/director, sources say.
It can be prosecuted as a felony or misdemeanor, and it's unclear which (if either) Mel will end up facing. Either way, expect a lengthy court battle.
Not to mention a mammoth legal bill for Mel.
It's also worth nothing that despite the "stunning decision" sources claim has been made in this case, Gibson has not actually been charged yet.
There are also concurrent court cases involving child custody and Oksana's alleged extortion of Mel, and how those dovetail with this is unclear.
Lynch and associate Simone Shay met with the D.A.'s top brass several weeks ago to present the evidence they believe could convict Gibson.
“Blair is aware that the District Attorney is inclined to file charges against Mel," said one source. “The District Attorney has a very strong case."
Perhaps most surprisingly, the source noted that "There is a lot of information that the public and Mel Gibson are unaware that the DA has."
It's unclear what that entails.
Oksana Grigorieva has claimed Gibson punched her in the head on January 6 at his multi-million dollar Malibu mansion, knocking out two teeth.
In a sworn declaration in the couple’s family law case, Gibson later confessed slapping Grigorieva during an argument, but denied hitting her.
Then there are the Mel Gibson tapes. While they may not be evidence of a crime, they don't help the public perception of the actor, either.
Stay tuned for further developments ...