Sarah Palin's Son Track Pleads Guilty to Criminal Trespass After Allegedly Assaulting His Father
Sarah Palin‘s son, Track, has pled guilty to first-degree criminal trespass as part of a plea deal on Tuesday which stemmed from an alleged assault of his father last year, PEOPLE confirms.
By pleading guilty, Track, 29, avoids an assault charge and a year-long jail sentence as he will now attend “a therapeutic program” offered in Alaska in Veterans Court — a court in which U.S. veterans are tried if charged with crimes, his attorney Patrick Bergt tells PEOPLE.
Bergt says the program is “intensive” and lasts about nine months. If he successfully completes the program, his charge could be changed from first degree to second degree which would mean only 10 days in jail.
“He will participate in three phases, each phase lasts about 90 days,” says Bergt. “If he fails, he would have to serve a year in jail.”
Track was arrested in December 2017 on charges of domestic violence after an incident at the Wasilla home of his parents — Sarah and Todd Palin.
Sarah called Wasilla police at around 8:30 p.m. to report that her son was “freaking out and was on some type of medication,” the Anchorage Daily News reported, citing a sworn affidavit filed in court by responding local police officer Adam LaPointe.
RELATED: Track Palin Called Police ‘Peasants’ and More Shocking Details from His Arrest
The affidavit said that Track came to the house to confront his father over a disagreement involving a truck he wanted to pick up. Todd Palin told his son not to come because he knew that Track had been drinking and taking pain medication.
“Track told him he was (going to) come anyway to beat his ass,” Officer LaPointe wrote, according to the affidavit.
Track told the officer he’d had a few beers and gotten into a fight with his father about a vehicle and “there had been threats made between them.”
Knowing Track was en route, Todd said he retrieved a pistol to “protect his family” and met his son at the front door. Track then allegedly broke in through a window, tackled his father to the ground and began hitting him in the head, according to the affidavit. After suffering injuries to his face and head, Todd Palin escaped and left the home. He was bleeding from several cuts on his head and had liquid coming from his ear, the officer said in the document.
A few days after the incident, Track was approved for house arrest with electronic monitoring.
At the time of his arrest, Track was serving two years of probation on a plea deal stemming from a domestic violence arrest in January 2016, when he allegedly assaulted his then-girlfriend and pointed a gun at her.
A source close to the Palin family told PEOPLE previously that the burglary charge came from allegedly breaking and entering at Sarah and Todd’s home. As for the assault charge, “Todd was the victim.” Asked if Todd, who suffered life-threatening injuries in a serious snowmachine crash last winter, was okay, the source replied: “He will be.”
The insider added, “A lot of other families have gone through worse.”
Bergt tells PEOPLE Track “has worked hard to get to where he is today.”
“He’s worked hard to get to Veterans Court,” he continues. “I think he’s doing well. He’s a bright kid with a lot of potential.”
