Actress ordered to write apology letters to officers
An actress in the movie “Django Unchained” who accused Los Angeles police of mistreating her because she is black was ordered to write apology letters to the officers Monday after she and her boyfriend pleaded no contest to disturbing the peace.
Daniele Watts and Brian James Lucas were ordered to serve a year of formal diversion, complete 40 hours of community service and write letters apologizing to the LAPD officers as well as the occupants of a Ventura Boulevard building who reported them to police.
In exchange, a lewd conduct charge against each was dropped, said Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the city attorney’s office.
The charges stemmed from a Sept. 11 incident in Studio City that made national headlines after the couple alleged they were mistreated because Watts is black and Lucas is white.
Los Angeles police said officers responded to a call about a couple having sex in a car. The department said Watts and Lucas matched the description of the couple.
Watts was briefly detained as officers asked for identification, but was later released.
The LAPD initially said no crime was committed, but a department spokesman said a follow-up investigation “revealed witnesses who were willing to provide evidence of a criminal act.”
Watts and Lucas pleaded not guilty to the lewd conduct charge and characterized their actions as a “passionate public embrace.”
Lou Shapiro, an attorney representing Watts and Lucas, said Monday that his clients were pleased with the outcome. If they complete the terms of the plea agreement, he said, they could have the case dismissed.
He acknowledged the requirement to write letters of apology was unusual, but said it was fitting given the circumstances. “It was a very emotionally charged case,” he said. “I think it’s a nice ending.… It’s a win for everybody.”
The LAPD launched an internal affairs inquiry into the officers’ actions after Watts and Lucas complained publicly that the actress had been handcuffed. One of the officers involved in the detention made public a recording of the encounter and defended his and the other officers’ actions, denying the allegations of racism. Sgt. Jim Parker told The Times on Monday that he had been ordered to a Board of Rights hearing — a threeperson LAPD disciplinary panel — on an allegation that he was insubordinate for speaking to the media about the incident without department approval.
Parker, a 26-year LAPD veteran, said that he was more concerned about what discipline his colleagues might face and that he hoped the no-contest plea might help their case.
“It would have been a non-issue if she had not gone public in the first place. She went public first, and I had to clear myself,” Parker said. “I tried to stop it right away.”