Counts against Crowe likely to be reduced

Russell Crowe kisses wife Danielle. Picture / Reuters

New York prosecutors might grant Russell Crowe the leniency he's hoping for.

The New York District Attorney's Office confirmed yesterday the serious assault and weapon charges against the Oscar winner for his alleged phone- throwing incident could be reduced.

New Zealand-born Crowe, accused of striking Manhattan concierge Nestor Estrada in the face with a telephone during a tirade in The Mercer Hotel lobby in June, faces up to seven years in a US jail if convicted of the charges as they stand.

The actor's chances of making films in the US would also be severely hampered if he was found guilty of the felony offences.

A spokesperson for the New York DA's office said Crowe's charges could be lowered when he reappeared in a Manhattan court in November.

"The charges remain," he said. "But we won't know if they have been reduced until they actually get back to court because right now it's adjourned."

Crowe told Australia's Bulletin magazine his lawyers were negotiating to have the serious assault in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree charges lowered.

The "weapon" was deemed by the prosecutors as the phone they accused Crowe of throwing.

Along with a potential jail sentence if convicted of those charges, Crowe's ability to obtain work permits from the US Government to make films in America would become difficult.

Crowe was scheduled to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court yesterday, but the spokesperson said the date was pushed back to November 18.

Crowe reportedly paid Estrada $US100,000 ($142,898) following the phone-throwing incident.

The DA spokesperson said the payment would have no impact on the prosecution's decision to reduce the severity of the charges against the actor.

"That's a civil agreement," the spokesperson said. "It has nothing to do with the criminal charges."

- AAP