The actor was supposed to appear in a Paris court on Tuesday after a Nov. 29 arrest for drunk driving.
Gerard Depardieu may need his new Russian passport sooner than he thinks, as he now faces up to two years in prison in his native France after the actor failed to appear at a scheduled court date this morning stemming from a Nov. 29 arrest for drunk driving.
After spending Monday night at an event in Switzerland, the actor skipped the hearing Tuesday morning in Paris, forcing attorney Eric de Caumont to request a second postponement, which was denied.
Such a hearing is a common procedure that requires the defendant to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge and results in restrictions on the driving license. By failing to appear, Depardieu’s case is now moved to a criminal court where he faces fines of up to $5900 (€4500) and jail time of up to two years.
The night before the actor was just 375 miles, or about 37 minutes by plane, away in Zurich for soccer organization FIFA’s Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) ceremony, which honored Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi as the player of the year.
During this morning’s hearing, Caumont said the actor was unable to appear because he is “abroad for professional reasons.”
Arguably France’s most famous face abroad, Depardieu recently forfeited his citizenship after engaging in a public battle with the government here over high taxes. In December, he put his Paris home on the market and announced plans to move to Belgium before shopping for citizenship around Europe.
“I have traveled to countries where I have seen real injustices,” he said. “Sometimes I am clumsy in my remarks, but I am only human. I can also be wrong, but never in my heart.”
Depardieu was also cited for fighting with a fellow motorist in a separate incident last summer. In 2011, he was removed from an Air France flight before takeoff for urinating in the aisle while intoxicated, an action he later apologized for.
Read More: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gerard-depardieu-faces-prison-time-409713
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.