INFDaily.comA misdemeanor unlawful-smoking charge against the Transformers star was dismissed Wednesday after his attorney successfully argued that his client had absolutely no idea he was breaking the law when he lit up a cigarette on a Burbank, Calif., street.
“We had a very productive discussion this morning with the city attorney’s office regarding Shia’s case, and they were agreeable to dismissing all the charges against Shia,” attorney Michael Norris exclusively tells E! News. “He did not have to pay a fine.” (View motion to dismiss.)
"I don’t live in Burbank, but I understand that Burbank considers public smoking to be a nuisance. Unbeknownst to most people, Burbank has enacted certain municipal ordinances which prohibit members of the public from smoking in certain designated areas,” Morris said.
"Casual visitors to the city would not be aware of these ordinances. Shia was not aware of this ordinance. And in Burbank, they consider a violation of their ordinances a misdemeanor."
While LaBeouf expressed surprise over the amount of media attention his case generated—dude, you're starring in the next Indiana Jones flick, hello!—he didn't exactly help the cause when he failed to show for his arraignment, prompting a judge to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.
His lawyer cleared up that "misunderstanding" the following day.