Justin Roiland.Photo: Greg Doherty/Getty
Justin Roiland, the co-creator of the hit animated Adult Swim seriesRick and Morty, appeared in court Thursday for a pre-trial hearing after being charged with felony domestic violence, PEOPLE confirms.
Roiland, 42, was first arrested in August 2020 and released on a $50,000 bond before being arraigned in October 2020,NBC News reports.
An unknown party also filed a protective order against Roiland in October 2020,NBC News reports, and he was ordered not to go within 100 feet of the person in question. It’s unclear who filed the order or whether it’s the same person involved in the alleged domestic violence incident.
Most of the documents in Roiland’s case have been sealed, so details on the alleged 2020 incident are scarce.
During Thursday’s hearing, Roiland’s lawyer reportedly said there was a plea offer on the table, but additional information is not known.
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A trial date for Roiland has not yet been scheduled, but he will be back in court on April 27 for his next pre-trial hearing.
Roiland has a new animated series,Koala Man, which began streaming on Hulu just a few days ago.
Dan Harmon co-createdRick and Mortywith Roiland in 2013, and the show became immensely popular, with Roiland as the lead voice actor. Season 6 aired last year. Harmon has had legal issues of his own, and in 2018 he admitted to sexually harassing a former writer on his showCommunity.
In a statement, Edward Welbourn, Roiland’s attorney, told PEOPLE, “…Not only is Justin innocent but we also have every expectation that this matter is on course to be dismissed once the District Attorney’s office has completed its methodical review of the evidence. We look forward to clearing Justin’s name and helping him move forward as swiftly as possible.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
