Barkley to serve time
Charles Barkley is headed to jail. The retired NBA star pleaded guilty to drunk driving charges Monday.
According to Scottsdale court records, Barkley faced two misdemeanor charges related to the same drunken driving arrest.
He’ll serve five days, pay more than $2,000 in fines and attend an alcohol treatment program. The sentence begins March 21 and under Arizona law, Barkley will also be forced to install an ignition interlock device on his vehicles.
The TV analyst was stopped by police on New Year’s Eve after leaving a Scottsdale nightclub. He was arrested after failing a sobriety test. His blood-alcohol level was .149 percent, about twice the legal limit. The fact that he told officers he was speeding toward a blow job also tipped them off.
He took a six-week leave of absence as a studio analyst for TNT and returned to the broadcast booth last week.
“This is just my bad, no excuses,” Barkley said in an interview with TNT colleague Ernie Johnson posted on NBA.com.
“I think that a DUI is unacceptable,” he added. “That can’t happen and I’ve got to challenge other people, not just celebrities or jocks. You have to really think before getting behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking.”
Barkley conceded at the time he could face jail time.
“I think it’s going to be good for me, to be honest. I need to make sure drinking is not a problem for me,” he said. “I just want some professionals to talk to me about it.”
If they tell him to stop drinking, “then I’ll have to stop drinking,” he said.
Asked if he could do that, he replied, “I feel I can do anything that I put my mind to.”
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This makes me sick!! Paris fucking Hilton can get numerous tickets, drive for years illegally and get out of it all with almost nothing happening to her what so ever. Charles on the other hand, His first offense lands him in jail and gets him more punishment then someone who has been caught for petty theft. You gotta love the damn laws of this land.