On Thursday (7.11,) DaBaby accepted a misdemeanor, no-jail plea deal in his felony battery case involving a California homeowner who claims the superstar rap artist sucker-punched him when he tried to break up an unauthorized video shoot at his rental property in December of 2020.
Born Jonathan Kirk, the rapper did not attend the court hearing in person yet pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery through his lawyer, Blair Berk. Los Angeles County Judge Ray Jurado immediately sentenced DaBaby, to one year of probation and time served for the single day he spent in custody after his 2021 arrest. The judge also ordered the defendant to pay $10,000 restitution, stay at least 100 yards away from victim Gary Pagar, and “not possess, buy or sell any deadly weapons, including firearms.”
Due to problems of proof of proving serious bodily injury at trial, Deputy District Attorney Heather Brel agreed to drop the more serious count of felony battery with serious bodily injury and following the hearing she did not elaborate and declined to comment. Had the musician been convicted of the higher charge at trial, Kirk could have faced up to four years in prison.
On Thursday (7.11,) the 68-year old Pagar submitted a written victim impact statement that the judge read quietly to himself and he is also suing DaBaby for fraud, breach of contract, and battery in a civil case due to begin trial in September. In his lawsuit,Gary claims he rented his six-bedroom luxury home to Kirk in November 2020 under a “vacation” lease that explicitly stated no more than 12 people could occupy the property amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pagar alleges Kirk violated the agreement almost immediately, inviting some 40 people to the estate to film a video for the song “Play U Lay,” starring rapper Stunna 4 Vegas and social media personality Jake Paul. According to the complaint, Kirk and his entourage disabled the home’s Nest security camera shortly after Pagar reached out and demanded that the “commercial” shoot be terminated.
When Pagar showed up in person to enforce the lease agreement, Kirk allegedly “sucker-punched (him) in the face, knocking out his tooth and leaving him bruised and bloodied,” the lawsuit states. Pagar claims Kirk, 32, and a group of men swarmed him in front of his house, “pushing him, shoving, spitting on him, threatening him, and taunting him.” He says Kirk and the men “tossed” his phone back and forth and scratched his car with keys.
For his part, Kirk has claimed Pagar spat in his face and spewed a racial epithet, according to TMZ. The allegation of racist speech surfaced in discovery requests in the civil battle.
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: A-Side Entertainment