Scott Weiland officially charged with driving under influence of drugs

Velvet Revolver vocalist Scott Weiland was officially charged on Wednesday (December 12th) with driving under the influence of drugs with a prior conviction and refusing a chemical test required by law, according to TMZ.com. Weiland will be arraigned on Thursday (December 13th) in Van Nuys, California and faces a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to the Los Angeles City Attorney. Weiland was driving on a Los Angeles highway at approximately 6:15 p.m. PT on November 21st when he crashed. According to a police report, the singer failed a sobriety test administered by California Highway Patrol officers and refused to submit for a blood or urine test before being released on $40,000 bail.

The singer has denied the DUI allegations, with a statement issued by his publicist saying, "Scott was not driving under the influence of a drug, legal or illegal. He voluntarily took a breathalyzer test which the defense believes registers well within the legal limit. He is anxious to get to court...and clear this matter up."

The former Stone Temple Pilots singer will serve a minimum of eight days behind bars because of his prior conviction and his car could also be impounded for up to 30 days.

Weiland has a long history of drug-related arrests and rehab stints, although he has reportedly been clean and sober since early 2004.

Velvet Revolver recently had to reschedule a five-date Australian tour initially set for early December due to unspecified "health issues." It is not clear if the cancellation was related to Weiland's arrest.

Velvet Revolver is slated to play on December 29th at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey and on New Year's Eve, December 31st, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
Submit the above story to:

Del.icio.us   Digg   reddit   StumbleUpon   Facebook