Bam Margera, who most will know from his days as a professional skateboarder or his various TV shows, may be facing prison time after a recent arrest in Los Angeles.
A week ago
Margera drove past California Highway Patrol officers while they were in the process of stopping someone else. They saw him on his phone and when they spoke with him, they noticed the strong smell of alcohol on his breath. They asked him to pull over and gave him a breathalyzer test.
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Eventually the LA City Attorney's Office charged him with one count of driving under the influence and one count of driving with a 0.08 or higher, which is the limit of grams of alcohol per 100ml of blood you can have when you're behind the wheel.
The
Jackass star was charged with two counts of driving while under the influence, it has been reported.
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Back in 2002 Margera had the world at his feet - he was a star after being in
Jackass, had a successful career as a pro skateboarder, acquired his own TV show, getting enough money to buy a mansion and a Ferrari - all this by the age of 23. Viva La Bam was a huge success over the three years it ran between 2003 and 2006, but there were darker years ahead of him.
In June 2011 his fellow Jackass star and close friend Ryan Dunn died, causing a downward spiral for Margera, which included a lot of drinking, drug use, and a deep depression. He and his family members opened up about what had gone wrong on an episode of the VH1 show Family Therapy, which delved into how far he had sunk by that point.
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If he's convicted he could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. However, as TMZ reports, this is unlikely. Apparently first-time offenders in L.A. County rarely get jail time with DUIs, and this is his first instance of this charge. Margera's bail was set at $15,000 and he was later released after he paid it himself.
This recent news comes after a supposed relapse following a healthy period in his life. He and his wife had a son in December and at the time he spoke about embracing sobriety after battling alcoholism for years. Earlier this month it was reported that he was planning to go into rehab, heading to a California rehab facility on January 12, once he had made sure to attend various gigs and TV shoots he had committed to that week.
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Bam's mother, April, told TMZ:
"He feels a lot better. He had a bad night. He’s embarrassed by it. He’s mad at himself for being stupid."
"Now he just wants to pick up the pieces and move forward for himself and for his family."
April said that she and her husband Phil researched to find the right rehab center, while his wife Nicole is also supporting him through this rough patch.
