Actor/director Mel Gibson, through his attorney, pleaded no contest today to misdemeanor drunken driving and was sentenced to three years probation. In exchange for his plea, the charges of driving with an elevated blood-alcohol level and having an open container of alcohol in the car were dropped.
Gibson’s attorney entered the plea before Malibu Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira and Deputy District Attorney Gina Satriano. Gibson did not appear in court. Under the terms of the agreement, Mira ordered Gibson to attend AA meetings five times a week for four and a half months and three meetings per week for an additional seven and a half months. He also must enroll in an alcohol abuse program for three months, was fined $1,300 and his license was restricted for 90 days by the DMV.
“This was an appropriate outcome which addresses all the public safety concerns of drinking and driving,” said Satriano in a press release issued by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
According to the press release, Gibson volunteered to do a public service announcement on the hazards of drinking and driving.