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Donald Trump鈥檚 campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was charged with the misdemeanor battery of Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields earlier this month.

The alleged battery occurred at a news conference in Jupiter, Fla. on March 8. The front-runner Republican presidential candidate had just finished speaking to reporters and was departing the stage when Ms. Fields, a Breitbart News staffer, attempted to speak with him from the crowd.

Trump鈥檚 campaign manager, Mr. Lewandowski, moved forward to keep the reporter away from Trump. In the process, say prosecutors, Mr. Lewandowski grabbed Fields鈥檚 arm and yanked her out of the way. Fields resigned from Breitbart, a conservative news organization, a few days later.

鈥淭his is atypical, especially for a manager,鈥� says James Thurber, the director of American University鈥檚 Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. 鈥淭his is serious and it is unique that it has happened.鈥�

At first, Trump鈥檚 campaign refused to acknowledge the incident. A statement by the campaign called Fields鈥檚 claims that she had been grabbed by Lewandowski, and Washington Post reporter Ben Terris鈥檚 eyewitness confirmation, 鈥渆ntirely false.鈥�

The Trump campaign also initially claimed that there was no photographic proof of the incident. The Jupiter Police Department has since released video evidence of the encounter.

Trump is famous for inspiring loyalty in his staffers and supporters, and he has been loyal in return.聽Trump tweeted in response to the charges that his campaign manager was "very decent man, was just charged with assaulting a reporter. Look at tapes-nothing there!"

According to the Washington Post, Lewandowski turned himself in to officials Tuesday morning. 鈥淗e was arrested and released with a Notice to Appear,鈥� said Officer Adam Brown of the Jupiter Police Department, reported The Atlantic. Trump鈥檚 campaign claimed there was no arrest.聽

鈥淢r. Lewandowski was issued a notice to appear and was given a court date,鈥� said Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks in a statement. Referring to the 鈥渁rrest/order to appear鈥� in court papers issued by the Jupiter Police Department, Hicks said, 鈥淗e was not arrested. Mr. Lewandowski is absolutely innocent of this charge.鈥�

Hicks said in a statement that Lewandowski will plead not guilty.聽鈥淗e will enter a plea of not guilty and looks forward to his day in court,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e is completely confident that he will be exonerated.鈥�

Lewandowski has been accused of treating protesters and reporters roughly in the past, both verbally and physically, the Atlantic reported.

Could this misdemeanor charge impact Trump鈥檚 campaign? Given his continued success after a number of incidents at campaign rallies and events, it seems unlikely, say most analysts.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what fazes Trump,鈥� Dr. Thurber tells the Monitor. 鈥淗is supporters don鈥檛 seem to be too bothered by it either.鈥�

Nonetheless, Trump's rivals were quick to criticize. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said the incident is "the consequence of the culture of the聽Trump campaign 鈥� the abusive culture when you have a campaign that is built on personal insults, on attacks and now physical violence."

"That has no place in a political campaign, it has no place in our democracy," Cruz told reporters as he campaigned in Wisconsin, the Associated Press reported, suggesting that "it helps clarify for the voters what the聽Trump聽campaign is all about."

While Thurber says that the encounter may not impact Trump鈥檚 perceived electability, he says, 鈥淚 think it directly reflects on the suitability of Trump as a presidential candidate. It makes our democracy look very bad.鈥�