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Morgan Wallen Can Face Up to 6 Years in Jail? Here's What We Know So Far
Morgan Wallen's recent controversy has lead him to facing felony charges. A Legal expert weighs in on the case.
Morgan Wallen was recently caught in fire after he allegedly threw a chair off the roof of a bar in Downtown Nashville on the night of April 7. The chair landed near two police officers who further enquired about the matter at the bar, consequently arresting Wallen. He was booked under three felony counts of reckless endangerment and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. A legal expert weighs in on what the singer might face.
Singer might face up to 6 years in prison, says legal expert Davin Raybin:
While he was released from jail after posting $15,250 bond, Morgan Wallen’s felony charges could result in two years in prison per count, as well as probation. While speaking to PEOPLE, Nashville-based criminal defense attorney and legal expert David Raybin said that there is a possibility that the Last Night singer might serve jail time for up to six years, because of the three felony counts. The chances of him being sentenced to the maximum and serving all the sentences consecutively are also “very remote,” according to Raybin. To serve sentences consecutively means serving them one after the other, as opposed to serving concurrently, which means at the same time.
“I seriously doubt how he would get consecutive time,” says Raybin. “It’s based on prior record and extreme dangerousness of the offense: professional, criminal, sex offense. It’s a pretty limited category. Generally speaking, this would not be consecutive. [Wallen’s] is a serious offense — I don’t want to minimize it, but still, he probably would not be eligible for consecutive sentences. It’s probably a maximum of two years assuming he was not put on probation.”
Raybin is not involved in Wallen’s case.
With the involvement of police officers in the case, Wallen might be subjected to “harsher sanction,” Raybin tells PEOPLE. “That chair could have fallen on them, and they could have been killed,” he continues.
Will Morgan Wallen's celebrity status alter how his case is handled?
Wallen’s celebrity stature leaves room for discussions on how the superstar’s case should be handled. “The question is going to be, because he’s a celebrity, should he be treated differently, either too lightly or too harshly?” Raybin says. He further adds that the prosecutors might want to steer a middle course in such cases. “You don’t want to just say, ‘Well, we’ll give you a $10 fine.’ And on the other hand, you don’t want to say, ‘Well, because police officers, country music guy, we’re going to toss you in prison for two years,’” he notes.
The challenge that would remain is for both sides to reach a disposition that is both fair and accurate. Raybin does not speculate how this case in particular will pan out over time, but says that he has seen in certain cases where the sentences are split, in which case an offender would serve 10 days in jail and the remaining on probation. Chances are that Wallen would be put on diversion, that is his record could get expunged after he pleads guilty and completes probation.
He is next slated to play at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on May 2nd and 3rd, but his next court date in the incident is on May 3rd. Wallen is no stranger to controversy, as he was once caught on camera saying the N-word in February of 2021. He has, nonetheless, made a meteoric comeback in the industry, with his hit song Last Night topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August of 2023, and maintaining the spot for 16 consecutive weeks.
ALSO READ: The Chair Thrown By Morgan Wallen in a Bar Becomes Famous Among Visitors; Deets Here
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