Sean Penn Shows Up at Police Station for Belated Booking

Actor Sean Penn, 26, showed up at the Southwest Division police station Friday afternoon to be booked and fingerprinted on an assault charge, beating a deadline set for his arrest, officers said.

Earlier in the day, Los Angeles Municipal Commissioner Juelann Cathey issued a bench warrant for Penn because the actor had failed to appear in court and prove he had gone through the booking procedure as a condition of probation.

Penn pleaded no contest on Feb. 20 to one count of misdemeanor battery for hitting a Silver Lake-area nightclub patron who, he claimed, had tried to kiss his wife, rock singer Madonna, 28. Penn was then ordered to pay $1,700 in fines and penalties or perform 250 hours of community service.

Cathey also placed him on 12 months’ probation and ordered him to complete the booking process, including being fingerprinted.

When he failed by Friday morning to prove to the court that he had done so, Cathey issued the warrant for his arrest, but held it up until 6 p.m. to give him a chance to comply. About 2 p.m. he did so, going to the South-Central Los Angeles police station from the nearby location of a film, “Colors.”

An attorney then presented the proof to Cathey, who dismissed the warrant and reinstated probation.