Singer Randy Travis reaches plea deal in assault case

DALLAS (Reuters) – Country music singer Randy Travis has reached a plea agreement in a misdemeanor assault case arising from an altercation last summer in a Texas church parking lot, KTVT-TV reported on Saturday.

The Grammy winner will serve 90 days of deferred adjudication under a plea he entered on Friday in a municipal court in Plano, a Dallas suburb, the CBS-affiliated station in Dallas/Forth Worth reported.

Deferred adjudication lets a defendant plead “guilty” or “no contest” in exchange for meeting requirements such as probation during the period. The defendant may avoid a formal conviction or have his case dismissed once the requirements are met.

Police said Travis assaulted a man in the parking lot of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano on Aug 23 while attempting to intervene in a disagreement between a woman, who is now his fiancée, and her estranged husband.

Travis pleaded not guilty to the charge last month. He filed a lawsuit in a Collin County court against the man he was charged with assaulting, saying the incident was an attempt to injure and embarrass Travis, the TV station reported.

Attempts to contact Travis’ attorney on Saturday were unsuccessful.

The 53-year-old singer still faces charges of driving while intoxicated in an Aug 7 incident near his hometown of Tioga, about 96km north of Dallas.

Authorities are still investigating alleged threats he made to troopers who took him to jail, and no charges have been filed.