Thomas Ravenelpleaded guilty to third-degree assault and battery Wednesday after his children’s former nanny accused him of rape. Now, what will happen to hiscustody agreementwith exKathryn Dennisand the civil suit Nanny Dawn filed against him?
The formerSouthern Charmstar, 57, appeared in Charleston County court Wednesday morning, when he received a30-day sentence suspended to a $500 finefor the crime.
“This does not seem appropriate,” says Steve Mindel, an LA-based family law specialist who is not associated with the case. “Zero jail time, a small fine, this seems like what would happen if I threw an egg at my neighbor’s car.”
Rebecca Miller/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Mindel says that while it’s “unusual that he would plead guilty,” it might be part of Ravenel’s legal strategy, to win him a favorable resolution in the ongoing civil suit.
“The [guilty plea] may be part of the agreement,” he says. “‘I agree I will plead guilty to the criminal charge as long as I don’t have to do jail time,’ and the court might be fine with that and this settles the civil case – two things working simultaneously.”
(Ravenel’sex-nanny filed a civil lawsuitagainst theSouthern Charmalum as well as Bravo, NBC Universal, Comcast, and the show’s production company, Haymaker, last December.)
Another question following Ravenel’s guilty plea is how it will affect his custody battle with Dennis over daughter Kensie, 5, and son Saint, 3.
Mindel says Ravenel’s guilty plea will “negatively impact the judge,” but it won’t change their current custody arrangement unless something drastic happens.
Kathryn Dennis and her children.Allison Michael Orenstein
“[Ravenel and Dennis’] problems don’t relate to their legal decision-making, so an order you might see coming out of this is the parents will continue to co-parent their time equally, depending on work schedules and they will work together to co-parent,” says Mindel. “It’s not likely that either parent will be excluded from seeing the children. I think the judge will say ‘Both of you have significant issues you have to resolve, so these children need to have someone with them 24/7, besides the two of you’.”
A judge will make a final custody ruling at a future time.
source: people.com
