Panettiere pleads no contest to battery

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Alan Panettiere has been placed on probation for two years after pleading no contest in a Beverly Hills, Calif., court to misdemeanor battery.

The father of 19-year-old "Heroes" actress Hayden Panettiere was also ordered to pay $400 in fines and to attend 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling, TMZ reported Friday.

The elder Panettiere was arrested in August for allegedly hitting the actress' mother, Lesley, in the family's West Hollywood home during an argument. He was later released from police custody after posting $50,000 bail.

Both Lesley and Alan Panettiere subsequently categorized the incident as a misunderstanding.