Shia LaBeouf Avoids Jail Time After Mardi Gras Beatdown With Plea Deal

Shia LaBeouf is closing the book on his Mardi Gras bar fight case ... by taking a plea deal instead of heading to trial.

The actor appeared in a New Orleans courtroom Wednesday and pleaded guilty to a reduced charge tied to the February altercation that led to his arrest during the city's annual Mardi Gras celebrations.

The judge originally gave Shia a 6-month suspended jail sentence ... which means he won't see a jail cell as long as he stays out of trouble.

Under the agreement, LaBeouf pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace by appearing intoxicated in public. In return, prosecutors dropped the simple battery charges he was originally facing.

As we previously reported, LaBeouf was arrested after a chaotic confrontation outside a French Quarter bar. Police alleged he struck two men during the incident ... with multiple people stepping in to restrain him before officers arrived.

Video from the aftermath showed a shirtless LaBeouf being treated by paramedics outside the bar before he was transported to a hospital and later booked into jail.

The plea deal brings the criminal case to a close and allows LaBeouf to avoid a trial on the more serious allegations.