Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965 in New York, United States) is an American actor. Born in New York City, he is the son of director Robert Downey Sr.. Downey Jr.'s father was born with the surname Elias, and is of half Jewish and half Irish ancestry. Downey Jr.'s mother is of German and Scottish descent.

Drug addiction

On June 23, 1996, Robert Downey, Jr. was arrested for driving drunk and being in possession of Mexican Black Tar heroin, crack, cocaine and an unloaded .357 Magnum revolver.

Related Topics:
June 23 - 1996 - Driving drunk - Heroin - Cocaine - .357 Magnum

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On November 6, Malibu Municipal Judge Lawrence Mira sentenced Downey to three years probation for weapons and drugs charges. However, just over one year later on December 8, 1997, Judge Mira sentenced Downey to six months in jail for violating parole. Eighteen months later, Downey returned to Corcoran State Prison to serve a three-year sentence for a parole violation again on July 16, 1999.

Related Topics:
Probation - Corcoran State Prison

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A California state appellate court ordered Downey released from his term in state prison due to a sentencing error made by his trial judge in August 1999. An appeals court panel ordered his immediate release. The appeals court said Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira did not take into account time Downey had spent in court-ordered rehab and ruled that the actor ended up serving more than enough time to fulfill his sentence.

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Downey was arrested again in a Palm Springs, California hotel for cocaine and Valium possession and being under the influence of a controlled substance on November 25, 2000.

Related Topics:
Palm Springs, California - Valium - Controlled substance

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On April 24, 2001, he was arrested in Los Angeles for being under the influence of a controlled substance after he was found wandering in an alley. He was not charged.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles - Alley

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The charges from the November 2000 arrest were dismissed in July 2002 due to California's Prop. 36. The judge had determined that Downey had been drug free for 14 months.

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Downey has not had any more public incidents since that time and has remained clean and sober.

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