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Morgan Wallen’s Attorney Issues Statement Following Guilty Plea: “Committed To Making A Positive Impact”
Sounds like he's ready to put this all behind him.
Morgan Wallen was in court today to plead guilty to two counts of reckless endangerment, bringing to an end the legal saga that started back in April when the country singer was arrested for throwing a chair off the rooftop of Eric Church's downtown Nashville bar, Chief's.
The chair reportedly landed near two police officers who were standing on the sidewalk below the Broadway bar, and when officers went inside to figure out who threw it, Morgan was identified as the culprit by both patrons in the bar and security cam footage.
The singer was ultimately arrested and charged with three felony counts of reckless endangerment with a weapon (one for each police officer, plus another for the general public), and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.
Today was the first time Morgan appeared in court on the charges, after his appearance at a previous hearing back in May was waived by his attorney. But earlier this week, there were signs that the two sides had been able to work out a plea deal, after a previously scheduled hearing was canceled and Morgan's original charges were dismissed to be bound over to the grand jury.
Then last night, the felony charges were refiled as misdemeanors, and a plea hearing was scheduled for this afternoon. And at the hearing, Morgan ended up pleading guilty to two counts of misdemeanor reckless endangerment, with the other two charges being dismissed.
Morgan was sentenced 11 months and 29 days in jail on both charges, to be served consecutively for a total of two years. But the judge suspended all but 7 days of his incarceration, and he'll serve that time not in jail but in a DUI education center. The rest of the sentence will be spent on supervised probation for a term of two years.
The conditional guilty plea also will allow Morgan to petition the court to have the charges expunged from his record at the end of his probation - assuming he doesn't get in any new trouble.
Overall it seems like a pretty fair resolution to the charges. I know there are plenty of people who think he got off light, but two years of probation and 7 days incarceration isn't exactly getting away scot free.
While Morgan hasn't said anything about his guilty plea yet, his attorney Worrick Robinson issued a statement after the hearing, saying that his client took responsibility for his actions and is committed to doing good for his community:
"Earlier today (12/12/24), Morgan Wallen appeared in Davidson County Circuit Court with Judge Cynthia Chappell presiding where he entered a conditional plea pursuant to Tennessee’s Diversion Statute that does not result in a conviction. The plea agreement with the Office of the District Attorney requires Mr. Wallen to spend 7 days at a DUI Education Center, be on probation for 2 years — one year for each of the misdemeanor charges for reckless endangerment— pay a $350 fine and court fees...
Mr. Wallen has cooperated fully with authorities throughout these last eight months, directly communicating and apologizing to all involved. Mr. Wallen remains committed to making a positive impact through his music and foundation."
Morgan recently wrapped up his record-breaking One Night At A Time Tour, and also won his first Entertainer of the Year award at the 2024 CMA Awards - an honor he has yet to acknowledge publicly.
Through his foundation, the Morgan Wallen Foundation, the country singer has been busy helping victims of Hurricane Helene in east Tennessee near his hometown of Knoxville. He recently donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross, and also hosted a food and supply drive for those who lost their homes to the devastation.
He also spent time visiting with victims, alongside comedian Theo Von and University of Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello.