Posted: Sat, Sep 21, 2002, 11:40 AM ET (1540 GMT)
Los Angeles prosecutors decided Friday not to file assault charges against former astronaut Buzz Aldrin for punching a man earlier this month who claimed that the Apollo landings were faked. The district attorney's office in LA County noted that Bart Sibrel verbally assaulted Aldrin in a Beverly Hills hotel September 9 and prevented Aldrin from leaving, provoking the Apollo 11 astronaut to punch Sibrel in the face once. Prosecutors also noted the Sibrel suffered no apparent injury, Aldrin's lack of a criminal record, and the unlikelihood of a jury convicting Aldrin as additional reasons for not filing charges. While Aldrin's lawyer welcomed the decision, Sibrel told the AP that the decision showed "favoritism" for celebrities like Aldrin.

Related Links:

•  AP article
•  Reuters article
•  BBC article