Assault case to be dismissed if 'Orange is New Black' actress behaves for 6 months

Dascha Polanco speaks onstage during the 68th Annual Writers Guild Awards at Edison Ballroom on February 13, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images For The Writers Guild Of America)



NEW YORK (AP) — Assault charges will be dismissed against an "Orange is the New Black" star if she stays out of trouble for six months.


The 33-year-old Dascha Polanco was accused of assaulting a 17-year-old girl inside Polanco's upper Manhattan apartment last summer.

The Manhattan district attorney's office says prosecutors consulted the teenager, Michelle Cardona, who is now 18, before offering Polanco the deal.

Polanco denied the assault allegation, and her lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, called the accusation an extortion attempt.

Lefcourt says Polanco is "delighted" to be able to put the matter behind her.

Polanco plays inmate Dayanara Diaz on Netflix's "Orange is the New Black."

She also played the title character's best friend in the movie "Joy," starring Jennifer Lawrence.