KEY POINTS:
It's a simple enough message but it seems those in Hollywood are impervious to it: If you drink and drive, you're a bloody idiot.
Yesterday's arrest of Black Eyed Peas member Taboo was the latest in a spate of celebrity DUI charges, which has seen three celebrities arrested
in the past week alone.
The past 12 months have witnessed nine celebrity arrests for driving under the influence, including Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson and others.
While Hilton's case was deemed a misdemeanour, others are more serious.
Prison Break star Lane Garrison has been charged with vehicular manslaughter after a 17-year-old boy died in a crash last year when Garrison was allegedly drunk behind the wheel.
Sixth Sense actor, 18-year-old Haley Joel Osment, suffered a broken rib and injured shoulder when he rolled his 1995 Saturn in Los Angeles last July.
We look back over the past year and see just who are Hollywood's biggest bloody idiots - and what happens to them when they get caught.
March 28, 2007
Taboo aka Jaime Luis Gomez from Black Eyed Peas
Taboo was arrested yesterday on suspicion of drink driving, after he crashed his car in Los Angeles. The rapper was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of a prescribed medication without a prescription and driving under the influence. A court date is pending.
March 25, 2007
Jessica Smith from MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real OC
Smith was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence of alcohol after she crashed her Volkswagen Beetle on the San Diego Freeway. Two people suffered minor injuries in the accident.
March 22, 2007
Vivica A. Fox
Fox was arrested last week on suspicion of drink driving after the actress sped past a police car and appeared unable to stay in one lane. After failing a sobriety test, Fox was arrested and taken two Van Nuys jail where she submitted to two breathalyser tests. She was later released and has a court date pending.
19 February, 2007
Ray Liotta
Liotta was arrested on the suspicion of drink driving after he hit two parked cars in Los Angeles last month. Released on US$15,000 bond.
December 11, 2006
Nicole Richie
Police arrested Richie last December after receiving reports that the reality star was driving the wrong way down a Los Angeles freeway. An alcohol screening device determined Richie was not under the influence of alcohol, though she admitted to police she had smoked marijuana and taken the sedative, Vicodin.
The Simple Life star plead not guilty to DUI charges last month and is due back in court in April.
December 2, 2006
Lane Garrison
Lane Garrison was driving with a 17-year-old male and two teenage females when he was involved in a horror smash, which left the two girls injured and the male dead.
Garrison was found to have nearly twice the legal blood-alcohol level and in March, Los Angeles police charged the actor with vehicular manslaughter. A court date is pending.
September 7, 2006
Paris Hilton
After reports that the star was driving her car erratically, Hilton was stopped and booked for DUI after she blew a .08 on a breathalyzer _ the minimum blood-alcohol level to qualify as a DUI.
The heiress entered a plea of no contest in January and was put on 36-months probation, ordered to pay a US$390 fine and attend an alcohol education programme.
July 28, 2006
Mel Gibson
Gibson's infamous antisemitic rant made headlines around the world last year, when the Passion of Christ director was stopped for suspected DUI. The Australian actor was charged with misdemeanour drunk driving, to which he pleaded no contest. He was sentenced to three years probation, fined US$1300 and ordered to attend an alcohol abuse programme and AA meetings.
July 20, 2007
Haley Joel Osment
18-year-old Osment was found to have double the legal blood-alcohol content following a car crash last year, which left the actor with a broken rib and injured shoulder after he rolled his car. Osment was charged with DUI and possession of marijuana. Osment plead no contest to both charges and was sentenced to three years probation, 60 hours of alcohol rehab, six months of AA meetings and was fined US$1500.
