Mel Gibson's DUI Expunged But Not Forgotten
Updated 5:59 PM EDT, Thu, Jan 7, 2010
Remember that summer night in 2006 when Mel Gibson and a deputy crossed paths?
During a 90-second hearing at the Malibu Courthouse, a judge expunged it from the actor/director's record.
Gibson's criminal record was cleared when the judge granted a routine motion expunging a pair of drunken driving convictions stemming from the Oscar-winner's 2006 arrest. Neither Gibson, 53, nor his attorney appeared before Judge Lawrence J. Mira, who granted the request during a 90-second hearing .
"He does not appear to be on any sort of probation or facing any similar charges. The request is granted," Mira said.
Gibson, like most first-time drunken-driving offenders, was eligible to have his criminal convictions expunged thanks to his successful completion of probation -- including a rehabilitation program and maintaining a clear driving record.
The judge read a routine statement into the court record, noting that Gibson's drunken driving convictions "are still valid for gun control purposes and for priors," meaning Gibson could face enhanced charges should he ever be arrested for DUI again.
The famous Malibu resident caused a tabloid stir when he was arrested at 2:38 a.m. July 28, 2006. He admitted driving 87 mph on Pacific Coast Highway with a 0.12 blood alcohol content and an open bottle of tequila in his hand.
An initial sheriff's deputy's report of the incident included allegations that Gibson made anti-Semitic insults at the arresting deputy, who is Jewish. Media reports then circulated that officials at the Malibu-Lost Hills sheriff's station had ordered the original report to be destroyed, and a new record prepared omitting the omitting the alleged slurs.
Gibson publicly apologized for the comments and arrest.
Gibson won two Academy Awards for producing and directing the 1995 film "Braveheart."
First Published: Oct 6, 2009 12:58 PM EDT on NBC Los Angeles
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