Apr 22, 2008 3:30 pm US/Eastern
Sambora Charged With DUI California
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (CBS News) ―
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Bon Jovi lead guitarist Richie Sambora was arrested March 26, 2008 in Laguna Beach, Calif., for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Laguna Beach Police Department/Getty Images
The Orange County district attorney's office says Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora has pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit.
Sambora's attorney, Blair Berk, entered the guilty plea in Orange County Superior Court as part of a plea deal just hours after prosecutors filed charges against Sambora. A count of driving under the influence was dropped.
The musician was not present at the hearing.
Sambora was sentenced to three years of informal probation, three months of first-offender alcohol awareness classes and court fees. He cannot have any measurable amount of drugs or alcohol in his system while driving during the period of his probation.
The 48-year-old Sambora was pulled over in Laguna Beach on March 25 after allegedly being seen swerving and straddling two lanes. The district attorney's office says his blood-alcohol level was .13 percent, nearly twice the legal limit.
Two minor children and an adult woman were in the car with Sambora. The children were released to the woman's custody. None of their names have been made public.
Sambora is a founding member of Bon Jovi, and has played guitar for all of their hits, including "Bad Medicine." The group's last album, released in 2007, was called "Lost Highway."
The band has been touring in support of the album since February. The tour was ranked No. 1 on the list of top 20 selling tours this week, according to Pollstar. The next scheduled tour date is March 31 in Denver.
Last June, Sambora checked into a treatment center at the UCLA Medical Center because, he said later, he had "been drinking too much."
He spent a week at the facility, and said he would be continuing with therapy.
"I checked into detox," he told Matt Lauer on the "Today" show. "I didn't check into rehab."
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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