SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Actor Marlon Brando's son pleaded guilty to a reduced voluntary manslaughter charge under a plea bargain reached after prosecutors failed to secure his half-sister's testimony in the shooting death of her Tahitian lover.
Christian Brando, 32, who had been charged with first-degree murder in the May 16, 1990 shooting of Dag Drollet, 26, now faces a maximum of 16 years in prison when he is sentenced Feb. 26 for voluntary manslaughter with the use of handgun.
After entering his plea in Superior Court Friday, Christian Brando, wearing a dark suit and surrounded by dozens of reporters and photographers, stood outside the courthouse with his lawyer before departing without commenting.
'This is a very emotional day for Christian,' his lawyer, Robert Shapiro said. 'Not only has he admitted to a manslaughter, but he admitted it to the entire world.'
Marlon Brando was not in court Friday. 'He was in no emotional position to come out today,' said Shapiro.
With the trial set to go Jan. 14, the District Attorney's Office had based its first-degree murder case on statements made by Cheyenne Brando, Christian's half-sister, who told police Christian had killed Drollet intentionally, not accidentally, as Christian contends.
But the plea bargain that led to the reduced charge was reached after lawyers for Cheyenne Brando told the District Attorney's Office during a meeting Thursday that her fragile mental and physical health makes it impossible for her return to the United States from Tahiti to testify.
Cheyenne Brando has attempted suicide twice since her lover's death.
'We were able to convince the D.A. that Cheyenne is simply incapable of testifying,' said one of the lawyers, Richard Hirsch.
Despite her mental state, the prosecution had said it wanted to avoid a plea bargain because it might be seen as favoritism toward a Hollywood legend.
But Cheyenne's condition 'pretty much changed the complexion of the case and made the plea something we could accept,' said Assistant District Attorney Bill Clark, co-prosecutor on the case.
Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the district attorney, said it was 'our judgment that without (Cheyenne's) testimony, a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter was an equitable resolution to the case.'
Prosecutors said at the sentencing they would present evidence of Christian's 'other acts of violence' and urge the judge to give him 11 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter and another five years for the use of a handgun.
A first-degree murder conviction could have meant a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Shapiro said Marlon Brando agreed with the plea bargain and that he anticipates the judge would 'show compassion' in sentencing Christian.
'Christian had no motive, no malice,' Shapiro said. 'We've been looking for this (plea bargain) all along.'
Gibbons said, at last word, Cheyenne still faces charges in Tahiti of being an accessory in her lover's death. Those allegations were filed by Drollet's father, an influential political figure in the French territory.
Hirsch said Cheyenne, who gave birth to Drollet's child after his death, is due to leave Tahiti 'in the near future' to undergo psychiatric care in Paris.
Cheyenne first attempted suicide Nov. 1 by swallowing anti-depression pills that had been prescribed by a psychiatric hospital in Tahiti where she had been treated. After emerging from a coma of 48 hours, Cheyenne again tried to kill herself by hanging on Nov. 11.
Although Christian admitted shooting Drollet in Marlon Brando's Hollywood Hills estate, he contended it was an accident that took place while he and Drollet were struggling over a .45-caliber pistol.
But, according to court documents, Cheyenne told police the 'shooting was not an accident like everyone was trying to make it out to be. ... It's a murder, in case you don't know it.'
After giving police the statement, Cheyenne flew back to Tahiti, where she also has citizenship, apparently to avoid testifying against Christian.
Prosecutors had charged Christian planned the slaying because he believed Drollet had been beating Cheyenne.
After spending three months in County Jail, Christian was freed in August when his father posted his $4 million estate as collateral.
Marlon Brando, 66, was home at the time of the shooting, but in another room. He called the emergency 911 number after hearing the gunshot. He has attended virtually every hearing in his son's case.
