Examples of Celebrities Who Have Been Arrested for Driving Under the Influence
The past year has seen many unlawful incidents involving celebrities, including many celebrities arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI). We’ve seen high-profile celebrity DUI arrests, such as Amanda Bynes and teen pop star Justin Bieber. The following are stories about several more celebrity DUI: Actor Chris Pine, David Cassidy, Will Patton, and Shia LaBeouf.
Chris Pine DUI Arrest
Recently, actor Chris Pine joined the club of A-list celebrities who got caught breaking the rules. On March 1, 2014, the Star Trek lead actor Chris Pine was pulled over by local authorities in New Zealand for drunken driving. Pine was in New Zealand shooting for his upcoming sci-fi movie Z for Zachariah.
The local police caught the 33-year-old actor in the early hours of the day in a New Zealand town called Methven, where he had just wrapped up a part with the film’s cast members. The police department of Canterbury later confirmed that an American was stopped for a routine inspection but refused to reveal his identity owing to the privacy laws in New Zealand.
It was later confirmed to be Pine. According to the report, he did not pass the sobriety test administered by the police, and he was later charged with a DUI and excessive blood alcohol levels. Chris was due in court in Ashburton District on March 17.
Film Wrap-up Celebration Party
A representative from The New Zealand Herald contacted the manager of the Blue Pub in which the cast party of Z for Zachariah was organized. According to the paper, on February 28th, about seventy people, including the cast, crew, and volunteers, rented the entire bar to celebrate the filming conclusion. The bar manager, Casey Crawford, told the newspaper that Chris Pine, his girlfriend, came to the venue with Iris Bjork Johannesdottir, and spent most of the evening in her company.
It is believed that Iris flew into New Zealand on the same day. Crawford also added that several designated drivers were assigned to the party and were surprised to know that Chris had taken to the wheel himself. The manager also reported that all cast and crew members were well-behaved throughout the party and caused no commotion. Crawford added that the party was not ‘wild’ and was surprised to hear about the DUI charge. He also insisted that nobody at the party was severely intoxicated.
Chris Pine is universally known for his charming demeanor and has generally not been seen in a negative light. However, his recent DUI charge adds to a long list of celebrities who don’t seem to take traffic rules or laws as seriously as they should. In recent years, celebrity DUI arrests are much more common due to the influence of alcohol, marijuana, prescription medication, and various drugs.
Actor David Cassidy Arrested for DUI
In January 2014, former teenage heartthrob and 70’s teen idol David Cassidy was arrested in Los Angeles for driving under the influence (DUI).
Cassidy was stopped by the L.A. police department near the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after making an illegal right turn. The singer was given a breathalyzer test by the cops and registered a blood alcohol level of 0.19, more than twice California’s legal limit.
Cassidy was in the city for a legal deposition about a lawsuit he filed against Sony Pictures. The singer alleged that Sony Pictures owned merchandise that used Cassidy’s image.
After a stressful deposition, he reportedly “fell off the wagon” and started drinking. Jo Ann Geffen, the actor’s manager, stated that after their depositions, he had cracked under pressure and suffered a brief relapse, eventually leading to the arrest in January.
Previously, the 63-year-old actor’s manager reported to CNN that he recently completed another stint in rehab and was performing well. Since this was Cassidy’s third celebrity DUI arrest in a four-year period, he is facing possible jail time.
Once the case went before a judge, the actor and singer entered a no-contest plea and was ordered to complete a 90-day rehab stay which began on March 24, 2014. In addition, Cassidy was sentenced to sixty months (five years) of probation and ordered to complete an alcohol recovery program that lasts nine months.
At the time of sentencing, Cassidy was already enrolled in an in-patient rehab center and was awarded a credit of 102 toward his sentence. In addition, the actor was fined heavily, due to the repeat nature of the offense.
Previous DUIs and other charges
In August 2013, the former Partridge Family star was charged with a felony of driving under the influence in upstate New York. The former teen star also faced further legal trouble when a charge was reduced to a misdemeanor. Eventually, a plea deal was reportedly being settled.
In early 2011, David Cassidy pleaded no contest to a DUI arrest in his home state of Florida. The no-contest plea came in after his November 2010 arrest, where he reported a 0.14 on the blood alcohol test. Following the previous arrest, Cassidy was stripped of his driving privileges and was suspended for six months. He was also put on probation for a year.
Cassidy’s attorney Steven Graff Levine reported after the incident that his client had already spent over 100 days in rehab voluntarily, after which he was awarded credit for the same period. Cassidy will now work with a sober coach for a few weeks and transition to an outpatient alcoholism program in April 2014. Cassidy’s recent arrests under DUIs are not the first of its kind, with many former child stars in Hollywood facing legal trouble with arrests and rehabilitation for drugs and alcohol regularly.
Read about other celebrity DUI cases below.
Will Patton Drunk Driving
Will Patton is a well-known Hollywood actor who can be currently seen on the science fiction series Falling Skies, in which he plays Colonel Dan Weaver. He is also famous for his work in Hollywood movies such as the Titans and Armageddon.
Recently, the Hollywood actor was in the news after being charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in South Carolina. The 60-year-old actor was stopped by the police on the Isle of Palms and tested for drinking and driving. The legal limit for blood-to-alcohol content allowed for driving in South Carolina is 0.08. However, Patton’s blood alcohol content was nearly 0.10, according to court records.
According to a report recording the incident, Patton was driving a pickup truck, unable to keep it steady. He was found veering the heavy vehicle over the centerline of the main road. The road runs through the beach community, which is full of residents, not to mention young children and old citizens, in the northeast part of Charleston.
The police officer who stopped and questioned Patton had asked him whether he had been drinking and how much he had had to drink, to which Patton sheepishly recalled, “Not too much, a couple of bottles …er .. a couple of glasses of wine,” according to police reports filed. The officer wasted no time in arresting Patton soon after the bashful reply.
According to state law, any driver found drinking under the influence of alcohol should undergo a sobriety test before he or she can be arrested. The police officer made Patton undergo a sobriety test, which he failed. According to police reports, Patton even went as far as boldly refusing to allow the police officer to take a Datamaster blood alcohol test on him.
Patton was finally released the next day on a personal recognizance bond of $997.
LaBeouf Receiving Alcoholism Treatment to Rescue Career
Transformers star Shia LaBeouf has made headlines for all the wrong reasons these days. The promising actor was found disrupting the Broadway production, ‘Cabaret’ starring Alan Cumming, in what appears to be a drunken state. Despite LaBeouf’s enviable film portfolio that includes prominent and starring roles in box office successes like Indiana Jones and the popular Transformer series and independent projects like Nymphomaniac, LaBeouf has often garnered more attention for his antics off stage rather than on it.
The most recent of LaBeouf’s controversial incidents occurred when the actor attended a performance of the famous Broadway musical, ‘Cabaret’, which resulted in the actor being arrested for interrupting the show. While the actual details of the incident continue to remain unclear, it is known is that LaBeouf was illegally smoking within the theater. Moreover, the performance itself requires a degree of audience interaction, but it has been stated that LaBeouf crossed the boundaries of contact with the performing actors.
When the authorities were finally called, LaBeouf became extremely agitated and began shouting several expletives at them. LaBeouf also reportedly spat at law enforcement officials, before losing his balance, suggesting that he may have been under the influence of alcohol. LaBeouf was arrested immediately and escorted from the theater.
Receiving Rehabilitation Treatment
His latest antics suggest that the Even Stevens star may be headed down the same path as other controversial celebrities such as Mel Gibson and Lindsay Lohan. However, recent reports indicate that the actor may be trying to salvage his film career and has voluntarily begun alcoholism treatment at a rehabilitation facility, the type of center that is often frequented by high-profile personalities.
A source at the NY Daily News stated that LaBeouf understood that his latest antics may be attributed to a larger and more prevalent problem in alcoholism. The actor was looking to repair his image as soon as possible. LaBeouf was photographed visiting the private rehabilitation clinic, where a nurse and a member of the security personnel escorted him.
Other incidents
It seems as if LaBeouf’s odd behavior at the Broadway theater in New York was the tipping point. The week before the event, LaBeouf was caught picking a fight with an unidentified individual outside a strip club in Manhattan. The situation was caught in a video filmed by TMZ. This particular incident is the latest in a long line of controversies that have surrounded the actor over the last few years.
Previously, LaBeouf wore a brown paper bag over his head with the message, “ I am not famous anymore”, as he visited the Berlin Film Festival in Germany. In addition, LaBeouf was arrested for incidents in 2005, 2007, and 2008.
Despite the actor being photographed and quizzed at the Los Angeles airport on Sunday, LaBeouf has remained completely silent about the ‘Cabaret’ outburst, and there is no evidence to suggest that he, or his entourage, will be making any further press statements in the coming weeks.
Why is there an increased number of cases?
Alcohol may initially put you in “high” spirits because it is known to stimulate the areas of the brain that are linked to relaxation, confidence, and being social. On the downside, it reduces our ability to plan and make informed decisions. But since alcohol is a depressant, it is known to delay planning and reaction time, limit powers of coordination, and stunt normal behavior.
So despite people knowing that they’ve already had one too many drinks at the first party, why do they still head on to the next party and the next guzzling down one drink after another? Here are a few reasons why, according to research and studies:
- They don’t believe they’re as drunk as they are.
- Alcohol gives them fake confidence.
- They look for a release from work/personal problems.
- The ability to rationalize is obstructed, causing them to make rash decisions.
- They, especially the celebs, are too proud or embarrassed to call someone for help.
Please comment below if you have any questions about these celebrity DUI arrests. Also, get the scoop on more celebrity drama. Check out more Celebrity Investigations and mugshots.