Mel Gibson DUI has now gone the way of his marriage: legally gone but not forgotten. The 53 year-old father of eight will no longer have a belligerent 2006 arrest for DUI on his record. The phrases “sugar tits” and “Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world” will always live on, though:
A judge in Malibu, Calif., has signed an order scrubbing Mel Gibson’s 2006 arrest for driving while drunk – in which he went on an infamous anti-Semitic tirade – from the public record, TMZ.com reports
The move to expunge the DUI, a misdemeanor, was originally requested by Gibson’s lawyer, Blair Berk, on Sept. 21 after the actor had finished a probation lasting three years, which included Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, alcoholism education and fines.
It’s considered a routine legal move, and Judge Lawrence Mira noted that the conviction still would show up should Gibson decide to get a gun. It would also come up if Gibson, 53, is stopped for another DUI in the future.
[From People]
What difference does it make if Gibson’s DUI is legally expunged? I read a few lawyers’ sites and they basically say that it’s useful for employment purposes as you no longer have to disclose a DUI to a potential employer, and they cannot hold it against you. Obviously that doesn’t apply to Mel. Maybe it offers some kind of closure for him, though. Mel has a new pregnant girlfriend and maybe he wants a fresh start.
Mel reportedly had a “secret annulment” by the Catholic church of his marriage of 29 years to the wife of his eight children. This is despite the fact that Mel belongs to an ultra conservative offshoot of the Catholic church that doesn’t recognize annulments as valid. It seems like this guy is using all the legal and religious means at his disposal to try and erase the inconvenient parts of his past.
Nothing unusual about that really. Anyone can do that if they are a first time offender.
As for the annulment. Very shameful on his part, doing such a thing to the 29 year union he had with his wife, not to mention to his 8 children, who are now basically “illegitimate” if you think about it.
It doesn’t sound so bad when you read the explanation behind it. I don’t think it’s going to affect people’s negative opinion of him though. He will forever be known for the “sugartits” comment. It’s such a shame he turned out to be a loser.
Does anyone know on what ground he got an annulment? I thought you couldn’t do that unless you can prove the marriage was invalid or if the couple has not slept together, which, you know, eight kids. No.
I despise Mel Gibson, but I have to admit those pics of him running with the beaver handpuppet are hilariously adorable.
Isn’t it possible that this is just a legal maneuver related to the divorce? Perhaps Robyn’s attorneys are trying to present a pattern of mental instability and alcoholism, including the wreckless behavior and poor judgment Mel’s exibited over the past year, for reasons of child custody or validity of financial contracts? Now, legally, his drunkness doesn’t exist. Otherwise, what’s the point of expunging the DUI, as the public will never forget the 2006 incident.
Regarding the annulment, the reason doesn’t matter. It was supposedly granted by his father and his crazy Gibson family “church,” which isn’t recognized by the Vatican. They make up their own rules…Also, Mel has seven kids with Robyn; the eighth will be with the skanky mistress.
I just can’t stand him, he is such a douche bag.
The DUI purge may be related to insurance issues. If he wants to do further movies, he (or the producer) has to buy insurance against any way he may have to drop out of the project (death, serious injury, drug use etc). Having an active DUI on record may immediately raise the payment on that.
He’ll be back at it again in no time. Blame it on the Beaver.
I love organized religion. Do as I say, not as I do. What an asshole.
that second photo of mel running is so damn funny i almost spat smoothie at the computer screen.
WTF is going on with the beaver pics, for real? I am kind of behind on recent movies so y’all forgive me. I obviously missed something. Something HUGE.
djork, excuse me, but, I gotta say this once again: THIS GUY DOES NOT REPRESENT CHRISTIANITY OR ORGANIZED RELIGION IN ANY WAY. This is not what it’s about.
Canada doesn’t let you in if you have a DUI, so Mel can visit there now.
@embertine, my knowledge of annulments comes from reading about Henry VIII, but a few reasons can be given, including the non-consumation of marriage you mentioned, discovering a previous marriage wasn’t divorced properly, and the couple being too closely related. I think the non-consumation one is used most often, though.
Remember Henry VIII and his attempt to get an annulment centuries ago?? Traditional Catholics believe that annulments are valid but that the rules now are too lax.
That said, the Nat’l Enquirer story about Mel’s annulment and Xmas wedding sounded phony.
@Emily, the CC has always held that both parties must give consent to a marriage, so a *forced* wedding is also a traditional grounds for an annulment. Nowadays, marriage tribunals give a broad reading to coersion and lack of consent.
(The big issue back in the day wasn’t over the consent of the bride and groom but over parental permission. Parental concent wasn’t needed for Catholic marriages but Luther required it.)
@CathyT, I forgot about the consent thing. And yeah, obviously back in Henry’s day, it was parental consent that mattered. Can you imagine how many annulments there would have been if marriage back then required the bride and groom’s consent? Lol.
One reason that annulments were rare 500 years ago is that most peasants didn’t marry in front of a priest, they just lived as common law spouses. But for nobility with titles, official marriages and legitimacy for offspring were important.
@Cathy T…Regarding Mel being able to visit Canada now that the DUI is expunged…As I recall, he was picked up for drunk driving in Canada in the 1980’s while on location filming “Mrs. Soffel.” I’m not familiar with Canadian law; perhaps that DUI was expunged too?
I LIKE that Beaver puppet!! LOL
@Firestarter, annulment doesn’t work that way. It has no legal standing. What it says is that no sacrament (and in the Catholic Church, marriage is a sacrament) took place. It has no effect on the legal standing of children.
Who says “illegitimate” these days anyhow? It’s the 21st century.
Yup, you heard it here first, Mel’s running around with yet another wide open beaver.