Nick Carter Takes Community Service To Avoid Battery Charge
Nick Carter is taking community service in order to avoid a battery charge, stemming from a January bar fight in Key West, Florida, that he was involved in.
People reports that Florida prosecutors are willing to drop the battery charge against Carter, 36, after he completes 25 hours of community service. If the hours are successfully finished, the charge against the youngest member of the Backstreet Boys is expected to be removed in six months. The agreement is part of a plea deal that the state of Florida offers as part of a pretrial intervention program for people who don’t have an extensive arrest history.
The plea deal stems from a fight between Carter and a bouncer that occurred outside of the Key West bar, Hog’s Breath Saloon, on January 13. Carter apparently became upset when a bartender refused to serve him another drink. The pop singer, along with his friend Michael Papayans, were asked to leave the bar on numerous occasions before they were thrown out by a bouncer.
Witnesses said that once they were outside, Papayans head-butted the bodyguard while Carter grabbed him by the throat. Subsequently, Carter was arrested and booked into the Monroe County jail. He was charged with a misdemeanor battery charge.
A few days after the altercation, Carter said that he was simply trying to enjoy some vacation time when the altercation occurred, and that the truth would eventually come out.
“I’m just a guy trying to enjoy some vacation time in Key West. The truth will come out.”
He also took to Twitter after the incident, and told his followers that although he’s trying to follow a healthy lifestyle, he’s only human and continues to struggle at times. He then apologized, but didn’t go into detail about the fight.
“I am human and at times it can be a struggle to balance a healthy lifestyle. I’m not perfect and for that I am sorry.”
In 2002, Carter was in involved in another altercation in Tampa, Florida, at the Pop City/Elements nightclub. The incident, which also took place in January, occurred after the singer refused to leave the club after Tampa officers asked him to leave “at least 10 times.”
Police were originally called to the nightclub to break up a different disturbance, but while they were there, Carter began arguing with a female guest. After asking the singer to leave the club, an officer told Carter he would give him “to the count of three” to go before being arrested. After Carter refused, he was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of resisting and/or opposing a law enforcement officer without violence.
The pop singer’s representative gave a statement shortly after his 2005 arrest, stating that Carter was taking prescription pills and didn’t know how badly alcohol would interact with them.
“Nick Carter deeply regrets the current situation. He is on doctor prescribed medication and was unaware of its interaction possibilities.”
Nick Carter, who’s expecting a baby with wife Lauren Kitt, hasn’t commented yet on his new community service.
[Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]
