A Paris court sentenced fashion designer John Galliano to a suspended fine and no jail time for making anti-Semitic and racist remarks to patrons at a local cafe.
Under the Sept. 8 sentence, Galliano must pay about $8,500 if he offends again.
He had faced up to six months in prison and a fine of about $32,000 on charges of “public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity.” In February, Galliano was videotaped making racist remarks at La Perle bar; a similar incident reportedly occurred in October.
After the video of Galliano surfaced showing him shouting “I love Hitler,” he was fired March 1 from his job as head designer at Christian Dior. Since then, he has been in treatment for alcohol and prescription drug abuse, according to reports.
He has said he is not an anti-Semite and that he made his rants under the influence of drugs and alcohol. He also apologized for his statements.
The court awarded the plaintiffs a symbolic Euro each. — jta