Artest facing charges in domestic-dispute case

Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest faces four misdemeanor charges stemming from a dispute with his wife at home earlier this month.

The charges were filed late Tuesday. Placer County (Calif.) Deputy District Attorney Dan Quick said Artest will be arraigned today on charges of battery and corporal injury to a spouse, false imprisonment and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. Each carries a maximum sentence of 1 year in prison.

Artest was arrested March 5 at his estate in Loomis, 25 miles northeast of Sacramento, and was released from custody after posting a $50,000 bond.

A Placer County sheriff's report said Artest grabbed a woman and pushed her down, then slapped her face during an argument.

Five days after his arrest, Artest said he'd stumbled as a father and husband and apologized to his wife and family, as well as to the Kings and his teammates. He sat out two games, but was not suspended and continued to receive his salary.

Artest's attorney, William Portanova, said yesterday that he had not yet seen the charges.

Immediately after the arrest, the county sheriff's department obtained an emergency protective order that prevented Artest from returning to his home or contacting the woman until she could obtain a restraining order. Officials with the Placer County clerk's office and sheriff's department said yesterday they had no record that she had sought or obtained such an order.

Sheriff's deputies said they have responded to 911 calls from Artest's home five other times since last August, and at least two of the calls involved domestic disturbances.

Last month, county animal-control officers seized his Great Dane, Socks, because it wasn't being fed.

As a member of the Indiana Pacers, Artest, who joined the Kings in January 2006, was the central figure in the 2004 brawl with Detroit Pistons fans. He received a 73-game suspension and lost almost $5 million in salary for jumping into the stands and throwing punches.

* Toronto Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani had an appendectomy and is expected to be released from a hospital in the next few days. No timetable was set for his return to action.

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