Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley has declined to file criminal charges against “Dancing With the Stars” pro Artem Chigvintsev, who was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence, presumably against his wife Nikki Garcia, in August.
“While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence,” Haley said in a statement Tuesday. “We are required to prove any and every criminal charge ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system. If the available evidence doesn’t rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges.”
Per the DA’s press release, domestic violence can be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor, and has a statute of limitations of three years. This means the office can review the case if there are future incidents or if new details emerge.
The press release also noted that the Napa DA’s office does not typically issue such notices, but opted to “due to the intense media interest it has received since Mr. Chigvintsev’s arrest.”
“The Napa County District Attorney’s Office will not be releasing any further information about this case, including the identity of the alleged victim, and any questions pertaining to this case may be directed to Public Affairs and Media Officer Carlos Villatoro,” the release concluded.
On Aug. 29, Chigvintsev was booked in the Napa County jail an hour after his arrest with a $25,000 bail, according to intake documents.
The entertainer and his wife, Nikki Garcia, celebrated their second wedding anniversary on Aug. 27. Garcia has not been identified by authorities as the spouse in question and, according to TMZ, who first reported the news, the victim has asked the sheriff’s office for “total confidentiality.”
Garcia filed for divorce from Chigvintsev two weeks after his arrest. A representative for Garcia confirmed the news to People at the time, saying, “Nikki Garcia has filed for divorce. She continues to ask for privacy for her and her family at this time.” Garcia and Chigvintsev share a 4-year-old son, Matteo.”
