Will Smith would face little more than a slap if charged

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith’s slap seen ’round the world at the Oscars was clearly a crime, legal experts say, but the chances of prosecution are slim and even if convicted he’d likely face little more than a slap of his own — on the wrist.

Smith left millions of witnesses stunned Sunday when he marched onto the stage of the Dolby Theatre and smacked Chris Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who was sitting with the actor in the front row.

The Los Angeles Police Department has said it was aware of the incident but was not investigating because Rock declined to file a police report.

While police could technically open an investigation based on the Academy Awards broadcast, they wouldn't do so without Rock’s participation, said defense lawyer Alan Jackson, a former Los Angeles County prosecutor who oversaw high-profile cases.

“Would they ever in a practical world do that when Chris Rock is saying, ’I won’t cooperate with a criminal investigation?' Not in a million years,” Jackson said. “LAPD is probably breathing a relative sigh of relief that they don’t have to get involved with two high-profile actors duking it out on a world stage.”

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office, which prosecutes misdemeanor crimes, declined to comment, but said it couldn't bring charges without a police referral.

“If he’s going to be charged, I can’t speak to what the charge would be,” spokesman Rob Wilcox said.

News of celebrities in trouble has been a fixture in LA since Hollywood's early days, and questions frequently arise about whether the rich and powerful receive a different brand of justice.

“The celebrity thing is coming into play, unfortunately,” said former LA District Attorney...