Gary Coleman Is Out of Jail; Bail Paid by Longtime Fan

By Minara El-Rahman on January 29, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Gary Coleman is out of jail, thanks to a longtime fan who reportedly posted $1,725 in bail for the former child star

The fan, Jarrod Clarke of Utah, told Radar Online that he simply felt bad for Coleman and decided paying his bail was the least he could do.

As previously reported by ABC News, Coleman was in jail after Utah police arrested the former child star on a previous warrant after they received a call about an incident at his house.

Sergeant Kris Johnson of the Santaquin Police Department told ABC News: "During the course of the investigation we found a failure to appear (on a) misdemeanor warrant and we simply booked him into jail." The jail record shows that he was being held for domestic violence related charges. However, he is not the only one in that couple who has faced domestic violence charges. His wife, Ms. Shannon Price was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence back in July 2009.

The curious couple has also recently settled a case with fan who claims that they assaulted him and tried run him over with their pickup truck in the parking lot of a bowling alley. We wrote about the settlement here in FindLaw's Celebrity Justice Blog. Gary Coleman, Shannon Price, and the fan reached a confidential settlement agreement. As a result of the agreement, the lawsuit was dropped.

But Gary Coleman's most recent legal problems bring up the questions:

What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is abuse that occurs within a household. It includes physical abuse, forced sexual acts, threats, psychological abuse, stalking, and cyberstalking. Typically, it involves intimate partners, but it can also include other members of a household.

Is There Civil Legal Liability for Domestic Violence?

It depends on the state. Some states prevent family members from suing each other for torts. The reasoning was that it would lead to the breakdown of families.

However most states allow for torts claims.

When one person injures another in some way, that act is called a "tort." The person injured by the tort may sue the wrongdoer for damages. Legally, torts are known as civil (as opposed to criminal) wrongs. But some acts of domestic violence, such as battery, may be both torts and crimes; the wrongdoer may face both civil and criminal penalties.

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