J.R. Smith will avoid criminal charges after paying the fan whose cell phone he smashed
In an effort to avoid a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge, J.R. Smith will pay $600 in restitution to the fan whose cell phone the Cleveland Cavaliers guard allegedly broke in late July, according to ESPN.
How did J.R. Smith break the fan’s cell phone?
A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man told New York City police over the summer that Smith threw his cell phone into a construction site across the street after he took a photo of the NBA veteran, according to multiple reports. TMZ Sports reported that Smith warned “no photos” before the picture was taken.
Smith turned himself into police in late August, facing a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge.
Is Smith free from further responsibility in this incident?
Smith’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, told reporters on Wednesday that his client had reached a plea bargain with Manhattan prosecutors to dismiss the charge in exchange for a $600 restitution payment. The charge is expected to be formally dismissed when Smith is due to be arraigned on Nov. 15. The Cavaliers will play in Washington the night before and not again until visiting Detroit on Nov. 19.
“We have reached dismissal in Cellphone-gate,” said Spiro, according to ESPN.
Hasn’t Smith been in the news for something else recently?
News of Smith’s restitution payment comes amid his battle with the NBA over his “Supreme” tattoo. Unless Smith covers the tattoo, the league is reportedly planning to fine him for violating a collectively bargained rule outlawing players from brandishing brand logos on their bodies. Smith accused the NBA’s front office of unfairly targeting him in an expletive-laden Instagram post.
Wait, didn’t Smith confront another fan in New York?
This is not the first time Smith has avoided criminal charges after allegedly confronting a fan on the streets of New York City. Police found a lack of evidence to support an arrest after a 19-year-old man said he was choked by Smith after heckling the former Knicks guard outside a pizza place in 2015.
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Ben Rohrbach is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
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