It Sounds Like a Glendale DUI Mad Lib: Gérard Depardieu, Arrested for DUI, While Falling Off His Scooter, In Paris (All True!)

Esteemed thespian, Gérard Depardieu, was arrested last week in Paris for driving under the influence, after he fell off a scooter and bashed his elbow.

This was not the Green Card actor’s first brush with the law… or the first time that he’s stirred controversy in a way that’s stimulated much tabloid tittering. Back in 1998, Depardieu smashed up his motorcycle and later tested to have a BAC of over five times the legal limit for Glendale DUI (or DUI anywhere) of 0.08%. Fortunately, he survived that crash with only minor injuries to his face and legs.

In 2011, Depardieu made the headlines again, this time in a far more spectacular fashion, for urinating in his seat on a plane bound to Dublin from Paris. Depardieu had asked to pee. The stewardess denied the request for security reasons. He insisted that he was “not a terrorist” and that he “just want[ed] to pee.” When the bottle into which he relieved himself overflowed all over the seat, he told all passengers within earshot that “the bottle was much too small. I’m an elephant!”

An elephant, indeed.

Depardieu’s colorful antics — and almost slapstick-ish-ly hapless responses to his legal situations — certainly have made for amusing TMZ stories. However, we can learn some serious lessons – lessons that might be vital for you, if you or a loved one faces charges of driving under the influence in Glendale or elsewhere in the Southland.

Lesson #1: Just because you’re famous and well-liked does not make you invincible.

Court dockets abound with tales of actors, CEOs, politicians, and even Glendale DUI defense attorneys facing the business end of the law. Just because this is your first time facing trouble – or just because you’re “well connected” — does not guarantee a good outcome.

Lesson #2: Where there’s legal “smoke,” there’s often fire.

You need to construct a meticulous and aggressive Glendale DUI defense. But you also want to pay attention to your patterns. Is this the first time you’ve gotten into a brush with the law? If not, why do you keep getting into sticky situations? It might behoove Depardieu to reflect on his two DUI-related bike accidents and his skirmish on the airplane. Self-knowledge is the best vaccine for legal problems — the surest way to prevent future Glendale DUI episodes.

Lesson #3: You’re only at the beginning of your Glendale DUI saga: the decisions you make starting right now can radically affect your future.

If you put up a limp or non-existent defense to charges, you could wind up losing your license, serving substantial jail time, and seeing your entire future in many ways collapse. With a well-orchestrated and strategic defense, you may be able to beat back the charges or at least position yourself to maximally benefit from your experience.

Get in touch with the team here at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers in Glendale to go over your best strategies and tactics for resolving your situation.

If you have been arrested for a DUI in Glendale or you are under investigation for driving under the influence in Southern California, please contact Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael Kraut for 24/7 assistance by phone at (323) 464-6453 or toll free at (888) 334-6344 or online.