LAST EDITED ON 03-31-05 AT 07:32 PM (EST)

LAST EDITED ON 03-31-05 AT 07:28 PM (EST)

what? you mean producers didn't do adequate background checks on their contestants?

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LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Scott Savol, the 28-year-old Ohio native who made his way into the "American Idol" Top Nine on Wednesday (March 30), was arrested in 2001 after an alleged domestic assault the mother of his son Brandon.

The good people at TheSmokingGun.com have obtained the incident report and mug shot from the confrontation, which took place on Valentine's Day.

Apparently Savol and girlfriend Michele Martin had been living at her parents' house in Shaker Heights for roughly a year-and-a-half when they decided to part ways. Savol and his brother returned on his appointed move-out day and a fracas broke out. During the fight, Savol reportedly grabbed his ex's left hand, pulled off her engagement ring and then grabbed at his son.
According to the police report, Martin's mother threatened to call 911, which caused Savol shove her and take the phone out of her hand. Before leaving the house, he threw the phone at Martin's mother, breaking the phone.

The victim told the police that day that Savol had made threats in the past, though no reports had previously filed. Initially, she just wanted Savol out of the house and declined to file charges in favor of a restraining order, but the next day she signed an arrest warrant.

The always vigilant website says that Savol accepted a disorderly conduct misdemeanor plea and was fined $500, placed on a year's probation, ordered to take anger management classes and given a 20-day prison sentence, which was suspended.

Savol's previous arrest record included a "no contest" plea to a 1995 misdemeanor charge stemming from a trespassing incident at his high school.

After several seasons of somewhat shoddy background checking, "Idol" has had a smooth ride in its fourth go-round. Several past seasons were marred by uncovered information regarding various contestants. The most damaging allegations came in 2003's second season when Corey Clark left the show in the final round amidst the news that he was facing trial on charges of resisting arrest, physical battery and criminal restraint.

As of late afternoon on Thursday (March 31), FOX offered no statement on the Savol revelations.

ETA: picture and take out messed-up link