Former Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti, lately a commentator for AOL and ESPN, was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery yesterday by Los Angeles city prosecutors:

Charges include two counts of domestic violence with injury, two counts of domestic violence, one count of grand theft, one count of false imprisonment and one count of vandalism. Each of the counts carries a maximum of a year in jail, meaning he could face up to seven years behind bars.

Mariotti is to be arraigned Friday at the downtown criminal courts building.

The article says that the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office didn’t have enough evidence to charge Mariotti with a felony; however, according to this article, each of the counts could result in a year’s jail time if he is convicted. And this article says he’s off ESPN indefinitely:

ESPN has no immediate plans to have Jay Mariotti rejoin the “Around the Horn” sports commentary show after the writer was charged Monday for allegedly grabbing and shoving his live-in girlfriend.

“We have no plans to use him at this time,” ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said Monday.