Gibson charged with DUI, open container
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Five days after sparking a Hollywood scandal with an anti-Semitic rant during a traffic stop, Mel Gibson was charged Wednesday with driving under the influence of alcohol. The 50-year-old Passion of the Christ filmmaker also was charged with having an open container of alcohol in his car, an infraction of the vehicle code. The DUI charges could bring up to six months in county jail for Gibson, meaning he could miss the premiere of Apocalypto, his next directorial project, opening Dec. 8. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 28. At press time, Gibson’s publicist, Alan Nierob, had not released a statement. The Lethal Weapon star was stopped early Friday by an L.A. County sheriff’s deputy for speeding in his 2006 Lexus LS in Malibu, Calif. The charges accuse him of driving with a blood-alcohol content above California’s .08 limit. Gibson later acknowledged that he had been drinking Thursday night. Before his arrest, he was photographed at Moonshadows, a bar/restaurant not far from where he was stopped on the Pacific Coast Highway. Criminal defense lawyer Shepard Kopp of Geragos & Geragos, the L.A.-based firm that has represented Michael Jackson, Winona Ryder and Scott Peterson in court, says it is unlikely Gibson will do jail time or community service as a result of the misdemeanor charges. If the actor enters a plea of guilty or no contest, “the likely result is three years’ unsupervised probation, fines of about $1,500 and an order to complete a 36-hour DUI program,” Kopp says. “I don’t see him being compelled to do community service in this case, unless the D.A. takes a harder line than they usually do.” Gibson also probably will have his driving privileges suspended or restricted for up to four months by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Kopp says. Gibson was taken into custody at the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff’s station, where fellow actor Nick Nolte was booked for driving under the influence in 2002. Nolte was arrested when police saw his car swerving into oncoming traffic along the Pacific Coast Highway. After pleading no contest, Nolte was sentenced to three years’ probation and told to undergo counseling and random drug testing. In 2004, Lost actress Michelle Rodriguez was sentenced to three years’ probation after pleading no contest in Los Angeles to three traffic violations, including DUI. A day after Gibson issued a second apology for his remarks and asked Jewish leaders for help in healing, he continued to receive offers. “We have invited Mr. Gibson to come and learn about the history of the Jewish people as he begins this process of understanding,” David Marwell, director of New York’s Museum of Jewish Heritage, said Wednesday. |