  
 | | Celebs Party and Pay for it in 2006 |
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So maybe it’s ok to follow celebrities’ fashion, music or change in hair color but it’s a different story when it comes to following the law. In the past several months a number of stars have been arrested for DUIs.
No one will forget Mel Gibson’s brush with the law and outburst of anti-semitic and sexist comments last July when he was arrested for a D.U.I. in Malibu, Calif. Then there is Paris Hilton, who in September was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after "driving erratically" and failing a field sobriety test. Her publicist claimed she only had one drink and had not eaten all day (no surprise there).
Most recently, Hilton’s “The Simple Life” co-star and ex-BFF was taken in for driving under the influence. Nicole Richie was arrested for a DUI early Monday morning for failing a sobriety test. Officers responded after two 911 callers reported seeing a 2005 black Mercedes SUV going the wrong way on the 134 Highway. She failed a series of field sobriety tests but was not given a breathalyzer test because officers did not think she had been drinking. She later admitted to officers that she had smoked marijuana and consumed the painkiller Vicodin.
She was released at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning on $15,000 bail. But according to California law, if Richie is convicted, a judge will be forced to impose a mandatory sentence of five consecutive days in county jail and a one-year licence suspension because this is her second DUI arrest. In 2002, she pleaded no contest to Driving Under the Influence.
In more positive celebrity substance abuse news, Lindsay Lohan announced on Tuesday that she had not had a drink in over a week. "I don't drink when I go to clubs. I drink with my friends at home, but there's no need to. I feel better not drinking. It's more fun. I have Red Bull,” she reported to People magazine. Of course this does come from a 20-year-old who stays out partying ‘til 3 a.m. and has been attending AA meetings for a year now.
If anything, this celebrity news comes as a friendly holiday time reminder not to drive under the influence. It’s not a matter of fashion or fame or celebrity weight, it’s a matter of life. Have a safe holiday!
| Celebs Party and Pay for it in 2006 |
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