Former Major League Baseball outfielder Milton Bradley has been convicted of nine counts of physically attacking and threatening his estranged wife and faces up to seven years in prison.
Bradley, 34, was found guilty of four counts of spousal battery, two counts of criminal threats, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of vandalism, and one count of brandishing a deadly weapon.
"Domestic violence will not be tolerated, regardless of perceived celebrity or notoriety, and violators will be held fully accountable for their actions," said City Atty. Carmen Trutanich said in a statement. "The city attorney's office remains ready to assist all people victimized by spousal abuse."
Bradley was immediately taken into custody, with bail set at $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for July 2.
The charges stem from five separate incidents, between 2011 to 2012, that included physical assaults and threats against his wife, who had a restraining order against the former outfielder.
In August 2011, Bradley was accused of using a bat to menace his wife in their San Fernando Valley home. Another incident, in November 2012, occured when Bradley was accused of pushing his wife against a kitchen wall and choking her after she asked him to stop smoking marijuana in front of the children. In March 2012, Bradley allegedly threatened his wife with a knife, saying, "You'll be dead, [expletive], before you divorce me." In another incident, Bradley allegedly kicked his wife in the ribs after throwing a cellphone through a television screen during an argument in their home.
Bradley's anger management issues have also flared up throughout his career, bouncing around to eight different ball clubs, earning a reputation for being a hot-head and a locker room disruption. In 2004, Bradley had to be restrained during a shouting match with Cleveland manager Eric Wedge during spring training. While with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bradley threw a bag of balls onto the field after getting ejected for arguing with an umpire. In another incident, while with the Dodgers, the outfielder threw a water bottle at fans.
By 2005, the Dodgers had had enough of Bradley after he got into an argument with a reporter. Los Angeles traded him to the Oakland A's later that year. In 2007, Bradley tore his right ACL after San Diego Padres' manager Bud Black spun him around, holding him back while arguing a balls-and-strikes count with an umpire.
Los Angeles prosecutors say they attempted to get Bradley into counseling early in the proceedings but his overall pattern of behavior, including breaking the restraining against him, did not allow for room to work out a deal with Bradley.
"This case demonstrated a very serious fact pattern and time line that necessitated criminal charges being filed," said Los Angeles city attorney's spokesman Frank Mateljan.
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