Ty Pennington Ties Up DUI Charge
Ty Pennington has home improvement down pat—it's self-improvement he's still working on.
The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition hunk pleaded no contest Friday to one misdemeanor count stemming from his drunken driving arrest earlier this month.
Pennington worked out a deal with prosecutors to enter the plea for willfully operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher; in return, a second misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs was dismissed.
He was sentenced to three years' probation, fined $390, ordered to attend alcohol-education classes for three months and had his license suspended for 90 days. He also must do community service in the form of a Mothers Against Drunk Driving speaking engagement.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles city attorney said the punishment was typical for a first-time offender and Pennington received no special treatment.
"I'm happy to bring closure to my recent court proceedings," Pennington said in a statement. "Drinking and driving is never acceptable. I have pleaded no contest and will abide by the court's ruling.
"I hope this experience can help others as much as it has helped me."
The experience that so helped the 42-year-old pretty-boy TV personality: an early morning arrest May 5 in Los Angeles.
Neither police nor prosecutors have detailed the particulars of the bust, other than to confirm that the camera-ready carpenter was pulled over just after 12:15 a.m. and registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.14 percent, nearly twice the state legal limit. He was taken into custody and was released on $5,000 bail after just two hours.
Pennington quickly issued a statement acknowledging his screw-up.
"I made an error in judgment," he said after his release. "We all make mistakes, however this is about accountability.
"I could have jeopardized the lives of others and I am grateful there was no accident or harm done to anyone. This was my wake-up call."
Pennington's damage control appeared to do the trick, not just with fans, who failed to get into much of an uproar about the incident, but with his ABC bosses as well.
The network has renewed Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for a fifth season this fall, with the Emmy-winning Pennington back on board to host.
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