Michael Douglas may lead a pretty charmed life with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, but his adult son from his first marriage, Cameron, can’t quite say the same. He was found with liquid cocaine in his car in Santa Barbara and charged with being under the influence of a controlled substance and felony possession of a controlled substance. Didn’t he watch his dad in “Traffic?”

Cameron Douglas, 28, the son of actor Michael Douglas, is to stand trial on cocaine possession charges in the US. Christopher Lane, 30, Cameron Douglas’s companion, shares the charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic needle. An extra charge of being under the influence of a controlled substance was added for Mr. Douglas.

A Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputy says Mr. Douglas and Mr. Lane were found in a car near a motel on 22 July. Deputy James McKarrell, the only witness at the hearing, said he and another deputy found a syringe on the car floorboard with liquid cocaine in it. The deputy said Mr. Lane claimed ownership of the syringe, and both men were arrested. But Mr. Douglas’s lawyer, Juan Huerta, said Mr. McKarrell failed to do his job by not testing the two men for sobriety. Superior Court Judge Joseph Lodge upheld the charges at a pre-trial hearing. The men are due to make their first court appearance for the case on 16 November.

[From the BBC]

Well that must be quite the feather in their father’s cap. Michael Douglas recently described his close relationship with his two young kids with Catherine Zeta Jones as very close. “I go to school events and recitals and all that stuff. I pick them up after school. I love it. It keeps me out of trouble. We spend a lot of time together as a family unit.” Let’s hope he’s as close to Cameron, and will get him some help. I’m no drug expert, but I’m pretty sure liquid anything is a really, really bad idea.

Picture note by Jaybird: Here’s Cameron at the “It Runs In The Family” premiere in April 2003. Image thanks to PR Photos. Header image at the “A father… A son… Once upon a time in Hollywood” premiere in July 2005. Images thanks to WENN. Inset image of Douglas’s booking photo.