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Justin Roiland: Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon created the renowned American science fiction cartoon-comedy Rick and Morty.
The show’s plot revolves around the antics of the booze-addled, eccentric scientist Rick Sanchez and his lovable but easily-swayed grandson Morty Smith, who shift between domestic duties and transdimensional adventures.
Since the program’s December 2013 Adult Swim launch, six seasons have been available to the public.
It has won praise for its originality, humor, and complex storyline.
However, co-creator Justin Roiland has had complications after being accused of domestic violence and false imprisonment.
He was recently charged with felony domestic abuse in Orange County, California, based on a criminal complaint filed in May 2020.
The voice actor is expected to show up in court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing.
The initial complaint
During the incident in 2020, Justin Roiland made a not-guilty plea.
One of the voice actor’s lawyers is T. Edward Welbourn.
Edward Welbourn asserted his client’s innocence in a statement.
“We look forward to clearing Justin’s name and helping him move forward as swiftly as possible,” wrote Welbourn, who expects the case to be dismissed.
The 42-year-old is accused of the following in the case:
- One felony of domestic battery with corporal injury
- One felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud and/or deceit
According to reports, the incident occurred around January 19, 2020, and included a lady who was dating Roiland at the time.
Records from the Orange County Superior Court show that Justin Roiland pleaded not guilty to both charges in October 2020.
Since then, the topic has been discussed in more than a dozen court appearances, including pre-trial hearings.
The trial’s start date has not yet been established.
Although Roiland was charged in May 2020, the specific dates of the procedures are still unknown.
Roiland was held but was released on a $50,000 bond in August 2020 and appeared in court in October of the same year.
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Documents
In October 2020, a protective order was submitted.
Court documents state that Justin Roiland is prohibited from threatening, disturbing, or spying on the target of the protective order.
The order further instructs Roiland to stay away from the subject and relinquish any firearms he owns or has access to.
The injunction issued by the court is valid until October of this year.
Specific facts regarding the case cannot be disclosed to the public due to a protection order, including:
- Police body camera footage
- Police reports
- Abuse investigation reports
- Medical reports
- Recordings of interviews
The affidavit that supported Roiland’s arrest remains classified.
Plea
A plea agreement will be presented during the court on Thursday, according to Roiland’s attorney, who did not provide any other details.
Shortly after the hearing began, it was agreed to continue on April 27.
Roiland is required to attend the hearing.
Roiland
Justin Roiland is an American voice actor, animator, author, producer, and director.
Furthermore, he co-created the Cartoon Network series “Fish Hooks,” which he also voiced, and co-developed “Solar Opposites,” which had its Hulu premiere in 2020.
Roiland is renowned for being the show’s co-creator, executive producer, and voice actor for both main characters in the animated television series Rick and Morty, which airs on Adult Swim.
He has also made a lot of other contributions to the animation industry.
Additionally, he won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program in 2018 as a reward for his work on Rick and Morty.
The sixth season of Rick and Morty premiered in September 2022, and Cartoon Network commissioned a seventh as part of a long-term deal for 70 additional episodes.
Currently, Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns Cartoon Network, has yet to respond.
After the 2020 trial
Three years after the domestic abuse case came to light, Roiland’s career took off.
In 2021, he started an NFT collection that sold for more than $1.65 million.
Roiland also auctioned his first artwork at a Sotheby’s auction.
In 2022, he again started another NFT project.
He co-created “Solar Opposites,” a hit Hulu series that was just renewed for a fifth season.
He recently appeared in a series called “Koala Man,” which will premiere later this month.
The Squanch Games studio, which Justin Roiland owns, released the video game “High on Life” last year.
“High on Life” outsold every other game on Steam during its first week of release and came in fourth on Xbox in terms of sales.
Reference:
‘Rick and Morty’ co-creator Justin Roiland faces felony domestic violence charges
