Most Talked About Celebrity DUIs in 2012

When it comes to partying, nobody goes as big as celebrities. Whether they prefer bottles of Cristal or sippin’ on gin and juice, the wealthy elite of the entertainment world seem more than capable of hitting the clubs, sucking down alcohol, and making it home with nary a scratch. But every once in a while a Hollywood wild child or rock-and-roll legend will go a little too far and end up with a DUI and a terrible mug shot (which TMZ unfailingly gets ahold of and airs in record time). And while Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie have apparently hung up their drinking hats in favor of dogs and kids, and Charlie Sheen has turned his addiction into a tongue-in-cheek money-maker, there are still plenty of out-of-control celebs to keep the public horrified and amused with their drunken antics. Here are just a few that have garnered some headlines in 2012.

1.  Jenna Jameson. Better known for her capers in front of the camera than behind the wheel, this former porn star nonetheless got tagged with a DUI after crashing her vehicle into a lamppost in Orange County in May, after which she registered a BAC of 0.13% (nearly double California’s legal limit of 0.08%). Her attorney recently entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf when she failed to show up for her hearing. But considering the level of alcohol in her blood following the accident (not to mention the fact that she was driving on a suspended license), it seems unlikely that she’ll win her case, probably leaving her with probation, or possibly jail time.
2.  Kerry Kennedy. The niece of beloved President John F. Kennedy is the latest member of the clan to besmirch the already tattered family name, thanks to an incident in June in which she crashed with a tractor trailer and continued on down the road. She was found by police on the side of the road some distance away with her engine running, where officers on the scene deemed her impaired. Toxicology reports later confirmed that she had Ambien in her system at the time of the accident, although she is claiming that the crash was the result of a seizure brought on by a long ago head injury. Nice try.
3.  Cat Cora. This celebrity chef may get away using alcohol in the kitchen, but when she paired a few beers with driving back in June the result was an accident and a DUI charge. Cora apologized, taking full responsibility for the incident and saying that she made a mistake by choosing to drive when her DD dropped out.
4.  Amanda Bynes. This predominantly wholesome and trouble-free actress shocked fans when she was involved in a drinking-and-driving incident back in April, in which she collided with a police car. The “What a Girl Wants” starlet quickly found out that a DUI arrest (and the media attention that follows) is not what anybody wants.
5.  Lindsay Lohan. This is more like the DUI that never was. When Lohan was involved in yet another car crash in Malibu in June, plenty of people speculated that she had been under the influence at the time of the accident, especially when her assistant came forward to say that Lohan had urged him to say that he was behind the wheel rather than the starlet. However, the police responding to the scene deemed her sober and she blamed the accident on a mechanical failure. Of course, she seems to get into trouble behind the wheel whether she’s drinking or not, so maybe she should think about getting herself a driver. It’s either that or retaining a DUI lawyer in Edmonton, Las Vegas, New York, or any other city she visits.