Mel Gibson's 2006 drunk driving conviction expunged [Updated]

A judge today agreed to expunge Mel Gibson's conviction that followed an infamous Malibu drunk driving arrest in which the actor made anti-Semitic comments to a sheriff's deputy.

As part of his 2006 conviction, Gibson agreed to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, perform in public service announcements and pay $1,300 in fines to resolve the drunk driving case.

[Updated at 10:35 a.m.: As a first-time drunk-driving offender, Gibson was eligible to have the conviction removed from his record after completing the terms of his probation. The expunging request and procedure is routine and took place before Judge Lawrence J. Mira during a 90-second hearing.]

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy stopped Gibson in July 2006 on Pacific Coast Highway after he was spotted driving his Lexus sedan over 85 mph. A breathalyzer test showed Gibson's blood-alcohol level to be .12%; the legal limit is .08%.

Sheriff’s officials initially described the arrest as “without incident.”

But after the celebrity website TMZ.com obtained the arrest report detailing Gibson’s profane outbursts, attempt to escape custody and repeated threats to the arresting deputy, critics charged that the actor had received special treatment by authorities.

In his initial report, Sheriff’s Deputy James Mee described how Gibson “bolted” from custody and how he chased the actor back to Gibson’s car and handcuffed him.

In addition, the report detailed repeated threats against Mee made by Gibson, who said he “owned Malibu” and would “get even” with the deputy.

The report also detailed Gibson’s “barrage of anti-Semitic remarks,” in which he said, “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world,” before asking the deputy, who is Jewish: “Are you a Jew?”

Department officials decided to place that portion of the report under lock and key in an effort to prevent immediate public disclosure, while only a narrative of the basic facts was made available to station personnel.

-- Richard Winton

Photo: Mug shot taken after Gibson's 2006 arrest. Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Previously on latimes.com

Gibson uses plea deal to resolve case

Gibson arrested on suspicion of DUI

Critics find voice in Gibson drama

Opinion: Slurring more than his words

Column: The shame is that so few say `shame'

Comments

[bruce]

he was arrested. i don't know that he ever sat in a jail cell. he sure as heck did not go to jail after his conviction. so what the hell are you talking about, fool?

[bruce]

also, an overturned conviction would be something that was appealed. his conviction was not 'overturned'. that's a heluva law school you attended.

[Jay Adler Comment]

I would personally excuse him for the hate speech solely and exclusively because he was inebriated. In New York, way back, we had 5 Mel Gibson's at a time yelling at the top of their lungs about everything from invading monkeys or racial slurs to the hilt. We have elected a Black President and Jerry Seinfeld can claim the most appreciated sitcom ever by the viewers who knew they were watching an openly Jewish lead with episodic allusions of same. Neither of these events could have been possible in 1956, so what ever Gibson feels emotionally, he may be in the minority today. I
cannot believe that they would expunge a DUI and as a wealthy celebrity actor and producer, I do not not see why there is a resume problem, in my state a first offense is usually a misdemeanor and employers would not be able to access this information although sometimes it is in the papers or in a small community you are in trouble. Additionally, and I do not want to hog space, I read the conditions he was faced with in the aftermath, and Mel Gibson should thank the Lord he did not get snagged in some of our more stringent states.

[Big Sam]

I AM AMERICA...you forgot the Johnathan Pollard affair. The former U.S. Navy Intelligence officer who gave Israel U.S. Navy secrets, which it has been speculated Israel used to offer to the former Soviet Union in exchange for allowing Russian jews to emigrate to Israel. Israel doesn't really have a blue water navy that would require them to have the information Pollard provided them.

And thanks for remembering the U.S.S. Liberty.

[Marcia Twane]

I AM AMERICA and Big Sam...y'all are pretty lame.

What about Attila the Hun? Genghis Khan? The Christian Crusades?

There have been MANY more non-Jews that have commuted more heinous acts against humanity.

If you two think otherwise, you are even less intelligent than you sound.

[Linda p]

Just do the best u can mr. Gibson, i'm not perfckt either, 16 years clean & sober. God bless u, linda