LOS ANGELES — Oscar-winning film star Mel
Gibson, who made worldwide news by unleashing an anti-Semitic
tirade during his 2006 arrest for drunk driving, received a
judge’s approval on Wednesday to serve the rest of his
probation without appearing in court again.
Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira told the
52-year-old "Passion of the Christ" director that he had
completed the requirements of his no-contest plea and was not
required to make further progress reports to the court.
"You’re on your own now with the self-help
groups, so this is the most difficult time for you," Mira told
a subdued Gibson during a brief hearing in Los Angeles. "Good
luck to you as you continue your rehabilitation."
The actor, who was escorted into court by
sheriffs deputies via a back entrance, spoke in court only to
thank the judge.
Gibson was arrested for driving under the
influence of alcohol on July 28, 2006, by a police officer who
spotted him weaving across traffic along Pacific Coast Highway
near his home in the beachside community of Malibu.
The incident triggered media frenzy when a
police report showed that he had made anti-Semitic remarks to
the officer who had detained him.
The screen star later apologized for the
rant and after entering the no-contest plea to drunk driving
in August, 2006, was sentenced to three years probation,
ordered to pay $1,400 in fines and attend alcohol
rehabilitation.
Gibson, who first achieved Hollywood
stardom by playing a post-apocalyptic survivor in the 1979 box
office smash "Mad Max," won an Academy Award as the director
of 1995’s "Braveheart."
"Passion of the Christ," which was released in 2004, became
one of the highest-grossing films of the decade. –
Reuters
