Feeling Bad for Mel Gibson?

Incredible as it may seem, HLN Prime News reported that there are actually some folks feeling bad for Mel Gibson, even though he got a “‘sweet” deal. Mel appeared in court on March 11, 2011, at which time he was allowed to enter “The West plea,” was given 36 months probation was ordered to pay a fine, attend anger management classes and do two days of charity work. Under the West plea, Gibson was able to avoid admitting any guilt on charges of battering his girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, while she was holding their infant daughter, Lucia, and his agreeing to the deal cannot later be brought up against him in any civil proceedings.

The questions that Mel was being asked are just the standard questions that any defendant entering into a plea would be asked, such as: “Have you had every opportunity to speak to your counsel about the facts of your case, any consequences of entering this plea?” He was also asked if he understood everything and if he had read the forms regarding the plea with his attorney’s assistance, and whether the signature and initials on the forms were in fact his. Mel Gibson acknowledged and agreed that he had discussed everything with his attorney and had signed the forms, etc.

One caller named Donna took news anchor, Vinnie Politano, to task: “As I told your producer, ” she said, ” I think it’s irresponsible journalism to call this a deal. ”

Donna felt that was assuming he was guilty. Well, no, Donna, it is a deal. All the details were hammered out before everyone showed up in front of the judge and there was nothing left to do but put the agreement on record. So calling it a deal isn’t irresponsible journalism.  However, acting like this isn’t the normal procedure in court is, as Vinnie Politan well knows.

Watch CNN’s embedding disabled youtube of the exchange between the judge and old Mel.

CNN reporter, Kareen Wynter said she will probably be attacked for saying she felt sorry for Mel, but she did. She later told Jane Velez-Mitchell the same thing on Jane’s show, Issues.

We won’t attack her, but there’s really no reason to feel sorry for Mel Gibson just because he managed to look contrite and humble in court. Everyone who wants their plea bargain to go through smoothly does that. The last thing you want to do is piss the judge off.

Mel Gibson was more or less convicted in the public mind long before this plea was entered when a series of tapes of his abusive phone calls to Grigorieva were published on RadarOnline beginning in July of 2010. The world was shocked and horrified at the threats, abusive language, and wild rantings of the Academy Award winning actor.

We particularly don’t feel sorry for Mel remembering how he told Oksana no one would believe her if she told anyone the truth because he is an important person and she is no one . How ironic that even now, after he has stipulated that he did strike her (although it was only a slap, mind you — they all say that), there are still people willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.