Charles Oakley has been cleared of misdemeanor assault charges in a New York court, nearly a year after being cleared in New York's court of public opinion.
A Manhattan judge on Friday dismissed the charges against the former Knicks star in connection with his Feb. 8, 2017, scuffle with two security guards at Madison Square Garden, according to the New York Post.
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The dismissal completed a deal Oakley agreed to in August in which the charges would be erased and sealed provided he stayed out of trouble for six months. He did not have to admit guilt. He was also banned from MSG until August 2018.
“Mr. Oakley has been completely vindicated,” his lawyer, Alex Spiro, told the Post. “The New York legend lives on.”
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Witnesses said Oakley sought after unpopular Knicks owner James Dolan during New York's game at MSG against the Clippers. Arena security was called to the area when Oakley began to heckle Dolan. After some pushing and shoving, police handcuffed Oakley and led him out of the building.
Oakley is not finished with the courts, however. He is awaiting the outcome of a defamation lawsuit he filed against Dolan, who suggested at the time that the MSG brawl was a result of Oakley's alcoholism or struggles with mental health. The Post reported in January that the judge in the case told Oakley he would have an "uphill battle." Oakley is also alleging that he was the one assaulted, and that he was falsely imprisoned.