GILFORD, N.H. — Singer Marilyn Manson has reached an agreement with the Gilford Police Department to turn himself in to Los Angeles police in response to an arrest warrant for a 2019 alleged assault in New Hampshire.
In May, Gilford police issued an arrest warrant for Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, charging him with assaulting a videographer during a live show at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford. The warrant is for two counts of Class A misdemeanor simple assault, which can carry a jail sentence of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.
“Thanks to over 300,000 FB comments and shares (many besmirching our agency for even filing such charges), it has forced Mr. Warner to finally address his outstanding NH warrant, which will, in turn, allow the victim of the crime to have her say/day in court in order to hopefully hold Mr. Warner accountable for his actions,” a statement from Gilford police said.
According to the agreement, Manson will report to the Los Angeles Police Department for processing and then receive a date to appear in New Hampshire District Court for an arraignment. That appearance will likely be in August, depending on when he turns himself in, Gilford Police Chief Anthony Bean Burpee said in a statement.
At that arraignment, Manson can enter a not guilty plea and set a court date. If he enters a guilty plea, the court may cancel the initial arraignment in line with pandemic protocols and instead set a case status hearing at a later date. Because of the delays in the New Hampshire courts due to COVID-19, further court proceedings may be delayed until 2022, according to the Gilford Police statement.
Manson’s attorney Howard King claimed that the videographer who reported the assault did so after demanding a $35,000 payout in civil damages for being spit on by Manson during the show, NBC10Boston reported.
“This whole claim is ludicrous, but we remain committed to cooperating with authorities, as we have done throughout,” King said.
Gilford police challenged that version of events, writing that the assault was reported the day after it occurred and that the criminal investigation took several months.