Sources are reporting that Justin Bieber has settled the assault lawsuit against him and his bodyguard stemming from the January 2014 assault of photographer Manual Munoz in a Subway restaurant. Recently, Bieber was ordered by the judge in the case to appear for a deposition or face arrest. It appears that rather than sit for the deposition, Bieber settled the case to make the judge’s order moot.
While the details of the settlement are confidential, it doesn’t take much to recognize that Bieber and his body guard were on the losing end of it. Bieber, who would have had to face a deposition if the case did not settle before the end of the month, likely settled as a prudent business decision. Currently, the pop star is on a world tour, and suspending the tour would likely cost more money than settling the lawsuit.
What Is a Deposition?
When a lawsuit is filed, the parties have the opportunity to gather evidence from each other. The evidence gathering process is called discovery. One of the ways parties gather information is through the use of depositions. Depositions are formal interviews where a witness or party is sworn in under oath, as they would be in a court room, and then is asked questions about the case that they must answer truthfully, while a court reporter types out everything that is said.
Depending on the case, a deposition can last several hours and be spread out over several days. In Bieber’s case, it is unknown how long the deposition would have taken, but having to suspend his international world tour was likely too large of a financial hit. Also, seeing as how a court order was necessary to compel him to attend the deposition, the court was likely unwilling to provide additional time.
Bieber Behaving Badly
The week that Manual Munoz was assaulted by Bieber’s bodyguards was a strange one for the pop star. On top of allegedly sending a bodyguard to beat up Munoz for his camera’s memory card, Bieber allegedly cursed at a fan who took his picture and, worse, was allegedly investigated for attempted robbery for trying to grab another fan’s camera out of their purse after they took a photo of him.
Related Resources:
- Fan Sues Bieber for Smashed Camera After Beer Bong Drama (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)
- Will Justin Bieber Face Penalties for Graffiti Ads in San Francisco? (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)
- Justin Bieber Fined Just $ 750 for Assault, Careless Driving (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)
- Justin Bieber Has Not Violated Probation: Hooray! (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)