Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Carmelo Anthony Arrested on DUI Suspicion

NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony was arrested early yesterday in Denver on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, hours after his worst game of the season.

The Denver Nuggets forward was arrested on Interstate 25, police said. He was alone in the car and pulled over for weaving and not dimming his lights.

Detective Sharon Hahn said Anthony failed a series of sobriety tests. He was charged with DUI, then taken to police headquarters before being released to a “sober responsible party,” Hahn said. Anthony is due in court May 14.

Mark Warkentien, the Nuggets' vice president of basketball operations, said the team was aware of the situation but declined comment. Anthony's attorney, Dan Recht, said his client consented to a blood test, but results won't be available for about two weeks.

Former Tampa Bay Buc David Boston Catches DUI

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver David Boston, arrested in August on a drunken driving charge, pleaded no contest this morning to a lesser charge of reckless driving.

County Judge William Overton sentenced the football player to six months' probation and ordered him to attend DUI school. Boston also was ordered to serve 50 hours of community service and pay $615 in investigative costs and a $500 fine.

After the plea, Assistant State Attorney Kendall Davidson said prosecutors opted for the lesser charge of reckless driving because the videotape of Davidson's field sobriety test was in Boston's favor.

Once Boston fulfills his financial obligations and attends DUI school, he will have the right to buy out of his 50 hours of community service. He also will have the right to ask for early termination of his probation.

Boston declined to comment.

One of his attorneys, Ron Hanes, said, however, that it was "extremely important to David" that he not be convicted of DUI "as he steadfastly maintained he was not impaired from the outset of this case."

"This was a fair compromise reached with the state based upon all of the facts that we uncovered in our investigation of the case and will allow David to continue to pursue his football career," Hanes said.

Wes Trombley, another attorney representing Boston, said Boston was going to join a Canadian football team in Toronto. Hanes said Boston, 29, is hoping to return to the NFL at some point and has "a lot of football left in him."

On Aug. 23, Boston was seen in a sport utility vehicle weaving in traffic before he stopped at a traffic light. With the engine running, he fell asleep or passed out at the wheel, Pinellas Park Police Department reports state.

After he woke up, Boston was asked to perform a field sobriety test.

Boston failed to walk heel-to-toe and lost his balance, reports state. He also swayed when he tried to stand on one leg, reports state.

After he complained about sports injuries, Boston was given a chance to put his finger to his nose; he got it right one of five times. He was able to correctly recite the alphabet.

The first patrol officer noted that Boston didn't have bloodshot or watery eyes and that there was no smell of alcohol on his breath. The officer did note some jerkiness in Boston's eye movements, the reports states.

Initial tests turned up no illegal substances in Boston, but a Pinellas Park police officer who is a certified drug recognition expert asked the Pinellas County Forensic Laboratory to run another test on Boston's urine for gamma-hydroxybutyric acid. The drug, also known as GHB, is a rarity in traffic cases.

Boston said he merely was fatigued, but laboratory analysts found a high level of GHB in his system – four times the dose someone would be prescribed for a sleep disorder.

In September, the Bucs announced the team had released Boston, calling the move an injury settlement. Boston hurt ligaments in his right foot while warming up for the season opener in Seattle.

Detroit Tigers Pitcher Pleads Guilty

Detroit Tigers pitcher Dontrelle Willis has pleaded guilty to reckless driving in a South Florida case that was downgraded from drunken driving.

The former Marlins left-hander was arrested in December 2006 in Miami Beach. Police noticed Willis had double-parked his Bentley and had watery eyes, slurred speech and appeared confused.

Prosecutors on Tuesday said Willis accepted a plea to lesser charges. That means Willis can keep his driver's license. But he must pay $761 in fines and fees, do 50 hours of community service and be on probation for six months.

Willis, currently on the disabled list with a leg injury, did not appear in court.

Richie Sambora May Face More Charges after DUI

Richie Sambora, popped for DUI in Laguna Beach, Calif., last month, may face an additional charge of child endangerment, Usmagazine.com reports. The Laguna Beach Police Department has requested the additional count because his 10-year-old daughter, Ava, was in the SUV when he was pulled over.

But TMZ.com reports that while Sambora's blood alcohol content may have been above the legal limit, some in the police department don't believe that he exhibited "dangerous conduct," which is crucial to making a child endangerment charge stick. They say he was stopped because his Hummer slipped out of its lane in which he was driving, but that may be because the SUV is just absurdly large.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office will have final say on what charges, if any, are lodged against the Bon Jovi guitarist.

DUI Ruled non Violent Felony for Prison Sentences

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that convictions for drunken driving do not count as violent felonies for enhancing prison sentences.

The justices, by a 6-3 vote, said that even though great harm can result from drunken driving, it is different from other crimes that involve purposeful action. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority opinion.

Larry Begay had three felony convictions for drunken driving in New Mexico. He pleaded guilty to possessing a gun, which is illegal after having been convicted of a felony.

The Armed Career Criminal Act makes defendants eligible for longer prison terms if they have three prior criminal convictions for crimes that are either violent felonies or serious drug offenses.

Justices Samuel Alito, David Souter and Clarence Thomas dissented.

Madonna to Appear in Malawian Court over Adoption

Pop star Madonna is expected to appear in court in Malawi this month for a ruling on whether she can adopt a child from the southern African country.

The case is "tentatively" scheduled for 22 to 25 April, a court clerk said.

Earlier this month the Malawian government recommended that the 49-year-old star should be allowed to adopt David Banda, who is aged two.

The boy has lived with Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie since October 2006 after they met him in an orphanage.

The adoption hearing was scheduled to take place in Malawi this week.

But the singer's lawyers asked for it to be delayed until the end of the month because she had another engagement in the US.

Last year critics of Madonna alleged that she had used her celebrity status to "fast-track" the adoption and get around Malawian laws.

However, the star strenuously denied that this was the case.

Debbie Gibson Can't Shake Stalker

What does Debbie Gibson have in common with Jodie Foster, David Letterman and Halle Berry? If you guessed a hugely successful career and lots of talent… guess again. The 37-year-old singer, who prefers to go by Deborah Gibson these days, is another celebrity with a stalker.

Yesterday, she filed for a restraining order against a Spanish man named Bassas Jorge Puigdollers. The 44-year-old with the seven-syllable name runs a Debbie Gibson fan club, and is apparently a bit too dedicated to his adulation of the singer/songerwriter of “Shake Your Love”. Puigdollers has allegedly followed Gibson backstage on numerous concert tours, and tried to get into her hotel room.

According to documents filed in LA Superior Court, Deborah Gibson asked that Puigdollers stay 100 yards away, make no attempt to contact her in any way, and even stop attending her concerts.

The Associated Press phoned the alleged stalker in Spain, where he works as a taxi driver. He said he meant no harm. "I wanted to use the fan club to help people who can't go see her to get autographs and photos," Puigdollers said. "I understand that she wants her privacy. I would like to say I'm sorry. I don't want problems and I don't want to bother her so much." Twice in a week, Puigdollers tried to connect with the 1980s teen pop idol. According to Debbie Gibson, he left a note under her door on Thursday requesting they meet in El Paso.

"If you like, contact me," he said, and signed it with his phone number in Barcelona and an e-mail that begins "debhead."

Then on Sunday he appeared at the front door of Gibson's Los Angeles home, which is when she called the police "for fear of my life," she said in the restraining order request.

Police granted Gibson temporary protective order until the court approves one for a longer term. Puigdollers can still attend Debbie Gibson concerts and said he plans to attend five Gibson concerts at a casino in Atlantic City in May.

Hopefully, this won’t end the same way it did with another singer whose fan club leader went too far and murdered his beloved musician. In other words, Debbie Gibson may be another celeb with a stalker, but let’s hope this doesn’t go into Selena territory.