Published: July 31, 2007 06:57 am
Al Gore’s 24-year-old son pleads guilty to drug possession
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (AP) — Al Gore’s son pleaded guilty Monday to possessing marijuana and other drugs, but a judge said the plea could be withdrawn and the charges dropped if he successfully completes a drug diversion program.
Authorities have said they found drugs in Al Gore III’s car after the 24-year-old was pulled over July 4 for going 100 mph in his Toyota Prius.
He pleaded guilty to two felony counts of drug possession, two misdemeanor counts of drug possession without a prescription, and one misdemeanor count of marijuana possession, the district attorney’s office said.
Jaime Coulter, senior deputy district attorney, said Gore’s sentencing will be continued until Feb. 7. If he has complied with all the conditions of the diversion program, the sentencing will be continued again for another year, with charges possibly being dropped in 2009.
“At that point, he will be able to withdraw his guilty plea as if he never entered it,” Coulter said.
Gore has been at a live-in treatment center since his arrest, said Allan Stokke, his attorney.
“He’s actually doing more than what other people do as far as treatment goes,” Stokke said. “He’s got great family support.”
Gore’s parents did not attend the hearing at the request of their son, but they were in California to support him, Stokke said. The family had no comment, said Kalee Kreider, a spokeswoman.
Gore was treated the same as other defendants with no prior convictions for drug charges and no criminal record, according to a defense attorney not involved in the case.
“It passes the sniff test,” said lawyer Rosanne Faul, who specializes in DUI and drug cases. “As far as first-time offenders and drug diversion, it doesn’t sound like he’s getting special treatment.”
Deputies who pulled over Gore said they discovered less than an ounce of marijuana and a variety of medications, including Xanax, Valium, Vicodin and Adderall. Authorities said he did not have a prescription for any of those medications. Gore also was charged with a traffic infraction for speeding.
The son of the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee was previously arrested for marijuana possession in Maryland in 2003, when he was a student at Harvard University. Gore completed substance abuse counseling to settle those charges.
He now lives in Los Angeles and is an associate publisher of GOOD, a magazine aimed at young people that is about philanthropy.
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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. — Al Gore's son was charged Friday with possessing marijuana and other drugs that authorities say were discovered in his car after he was pulled over this month for speeding.
Al Gore III, 24, is free on $20,000 bail and scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 1 in Superior Court in Laguna Niguel.
He faces two felony counts of drug possession, two misdemeanor counts of drug possession without a prescription and one misdemeanor count of marijuana possession, the district attorney's office said in a statement. Gore also was charged with a traffic infraction for allegedly driving faster than 100 miles per hour.
Prosecutors said he could be sentenced to a maximum of three years and eight months in prison if convicted on all counts, though he might be eligible for a drug treatment program instead of prison.
Kalee Kreider, a spokeswoman for Gore's parents, said the family had no comment. The charges stem from July 4, when Orange County sheriff's deputies say they pulled Gore over for speeding.
Gore was allegedly driving a 2006 blue Toyota Prius at about 100 mph. Upon searching the car, deputies say they discovered less than an ounce of marijuana and a variety of medications — including Xanax, Valium, Vicodin and Adderall. Authorities said Gore did not have a prescription for any of those medications.
The son of the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee was previously arrested for marijuana possession in Maryland in 2003, when he was a student at Harvard University. Gore completed substance abuse counseling to settle those charges.
Gore is the youngest of Tipper and Al Gore's four children. He now lives in Los Angeles and is an associate publisher of GOOD, a magazine about philanthropy and aimed at young people.
Will ‘Three Strikes’ Law Earn Gore III a Life Sentence?
July 4th, 2007 · 8 Comments
UPDATE: Fox News is reporting today that Al Gore III faces up to three years in prison if convicted on felony drug-possession charges and lesser offenses related to the July 4 traffic stop described in the post below. According to People.com, he was found to be in possession of 140 Vicodin pills, among other items, at the time of his most-recent arrest.
***
According to news reports, Al Gore III (below right) was arrested in San Diego this morning on charges of driving under the influence after being clocked at 100 miles per hour in his Toyota Prius hybrid. In addition to the DUI charge, the 24-year-old son of the former vice president faces charges related to possession of marijuana as well as several medications — including Xanax, Valium and Vicodin – without prescriptions.
Today’s arrest of Gore III marks his third such encounter with law enforcement in recent years and prompts this blogger to speculate as to whether or not California’s “Three Strikes and You’re Out” Law, approved by Golden State voters in 1994, will earn him a life sentence in prison.
What I lack now are details as to whether Gore III’s previous two arrests resulted in felony convictions. If they did, and if today’s arrest results in a felony conviction(s), Al Gore Jr. might be forced to run for president — and win — in 2008 in order to be able to grant his law-breaking offspring a presidential pardon.
Please let this blogger know if you have details of Gore III’s previous convictions — in particular, whether or not they were recorded as misdemeanors or felonies.
Stay tuned!
Al Gore's son arrested, with pot, after doing 100 mph in a Prius
Posted Jul 4th 2007 8:38PM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Etc., Hybrid
Guess the Tesla Roadster isn't the only green car that breaks the speed limit. Al Gore III, the son of Mr. Inconvenient Truth, was arrested this morning at 2 in the morning for having marijuana, as well as the medications including Xanax, Vicodin and Adderall without a prescription. The reason police found these drugs on him: they stopped him after he was going 100 mph in a blue Prius. This isn't the first time Gore the third has been in trouble with the law for drugs and illegal driving. The Independent reminds us that he was charged with marijuana possession in 2003 after being caught driving without headlights. He plea bargained that one away. The Daily News points out he was charged with reckless driving 94 back in 2000.
We would have been much more impressed had he been doing 100 mpG in a Prius, not mpH.
Al Gore's son charged with pot possession
Sunday, December 21, 2003 Posted: 12:57 PM EST (1757 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The son of former Vice President Al Gore was arrested Friday night on a marijuana possession charge after police stopped the car he was driving for not having its headlights on, according to a news release from the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Police Services.
Albert Gore III, 21, was behind the wheel of a Cadillac driving in downtown Bethesda at 11:30 p.m. EST Friday when it was spotted by a unit with the Montgomery County Police Holiday Task Force, the statement said.
After he pulled the car over, Officer Robert Cassels noticed all of its windows and the sunroof were opened despite the freezing temperature, and he "smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside the car," the statement said.
A search of the car found "a partial marijuana cigarette" and "a cardboard cigarette box with a baggie containing suspected marijuana," the police statement said.
In addition to Gore, police charged two male passengers in the car with a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana. The three were released from jail, pending trial.
Gore, a Harvard University student, has had previous brushes with the law. He was ticketed for reckless driving by North Carolina police in August 2000 when he was clocked going 94 mph. Military police arrested him for drunk driving near a military base in Virginia in September 2002.
Al Gore’s 24-year-old son pleads guilty to drug possession
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (AP) — Al Gore’s son pleaded guilty Monday to possessing marijuana and other drugs, but a judge said the plea could be withdrawn and the charges dropped if he successfully completes a drug diversion program.
Authorities have said they found drugs in Al Gore III’s car after the 24-year-old was pulled over July 4 for going 100 mph in his Toyota Prius.
He pleaded guilty to two felony counts of drug possession, two misdemeanor counts of drug possession without a prescription, and one misdemeanor count of marijuana possession, the district attorney’s office said.
Jaime Coulter, senior deputy district attorney, said Gore’s sentencing will be continued until Feb. 7. If he has complied with all the conditions of the diversion program, the sentencing will be continued again for another year, with charges possibly being dropped in 2009.
“At that point, he will be able to withdraw his guilty plea as if he never entered it,” Coulter said.
Gore has been at a live-in treatment center since his arrest, said Allan Stokke, his attorney.
“He’s actually doing more than what other people do as far as treatment goes,” Stokke said. “He’s got great family support.”
Gore’s parents did not attend the hearing at the request of their son, but they were in California to support him, Stokke said. The family had no comment, said Kalee Kreider, a spokeswoman.
Gore was treated the same as other defendants with no prior convictions for drug charges and no criminal record, according to a defense attorney not involved in the case.
“It passes the sniff test,” said lawyer Rosanne Faul, who specializes in DUI and drug cases. “As far as first-time offenders and drug diversion, it doesn’t sound like he’s getting special treatment.”
Deputies who pulled over Gore said they discovered less than an ounce of marijuana and a variety of medications, including Xanax, Valium, Vicodin and Adderall. Authorities said he did not have a prescription for any of those medications. Gore also was charged with a traffic infraction for speeding.
The son of the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee was previously arrested for marijuana possession in Maryland in 2003, when he was a student at Harvard University. Gore completed substance abuse counseling to settle those charges.
He now lives in Los Angeles and is an associate publisher of GOOD, a magazine aimed at young people that is about philanthropy.
Print Email Suggest a Story
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. — Al Gore's son was charged Friday with possessing marijuana and other drugs that authorities say were discovered in his car after he was pulled over this month for speeding.
Al Gore III, 24, is free on $20,000 bail and scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 1 in Superior Court in Laguna Niguel.
He faces two felony counts of drug possession, two misdemeanor counts of drug possession without a prescription and one misdemeanor count of marijuana possession, the district attorney's office said in a statement. Gore also was charged with a traffic infraction for allegedly driving faster than 100 miles per hour.
Prosecutors said he could be sentenced to a maximum of three years and eight months in prison if convicted on all counts, though he might be eligible for a drug treatment program instead of prison.
Kalee Kreider, a spokeswoman for Gore's parents, said the family had no comment. The charges stem from July 4, when Orange County sheriff's deputies say they pulled Gore over for speeding.
Gore was allegedly driving a 2006 blue Toyota Prius at about 100 mph. Upon searching the car, deputies say they discovered less than an ounce of marijuana and a variety of medications — including Xanax, Valium, Vicodin and Adderall. Authorities said Gore did not have a prescription for any of those medications.
The son of the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee was previously arrested for marijuana possession in Maryland in 2003, when he was a student at Harvard University. Gore completed substance abuse counseling to settle those charges.
Gore is the youngest of Tipper and Al Gore's four children. He now lives in Los Angeles and is an associate publisher of GOOD, a magazine about philanthropy and aimed at young people.
Will ‘Three Strikes’ Law Earn Gore III a Life Sentence?
July 4th, 2007 · 8 Comments
UPDATE: Fox News is reporting today that Al Gore III faces up to three years in prison if convicted on felony drug-possession charges and lesser offenses related to the July 4 traffic stop described in the post below. According to People.com, he was found to be in possession of 140 Vicodin pills, among other items, at the time of his most-recent arrest.
***
According to news reports, Al Gore III (below right) was arrested in San Diego this morning on charges of driving under the influence after being clocked at 100 miles per hour in his Toyota Prius hybrid. In addition to the DUI charge, the 24-year-old son of the former vice president faces charges related to possession of marijuana as well as several medications — including Xanax, Valium and Vicodin – without prescriptions.
Today’s arrest of Gore III marks his third such encounter with law enforcement in recent years and prompts this blogger to speculate as to whether or not California’s “Three Strikes and You’re Out” Law, approved by Golden State voters in 1994, will earn him a life sentence in prison.
What I lack now are details as to whether Gore III’s previous two arrests resulted in felony convictions. If they did, and if today’s arrest results in a felony conviction(s), Al Gore Jr. might be forced to run for president — and win — in 2008 in order to be able to grant his law-breaking offspring a presidential pardon.
Please let this blogger know if you have details of Gore III’s previous convictions — in particular, whether or not they were recorded as misdemeanors or felonies.
Stay tuned!
Al Gore's son arrested, with pot, after doing 100 mph in a Prius
Posted Jul 4th 2007 8:38PM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Etc., Hybrid
Guess the Tesla Roadster isn't the only green car that breaks the speed limit. Al Gore III, the son of Mr. Inconvenient Truth, was arrested this morning at 2 in the morning for having marijuana, as well as the medications including Xanax, Vicodin and Adderall without a prescription. The reason police found these drugs on him: they stopped him after he was going 100 mph in a blue Prius. This isn't the first time Gore the third has been in trouble with the law for drugs and illegal driving. The Independent reminds us that he was charged with marijuana possession in 2003 after being caught driving without headlights. He plea bargained that one away. The Daily News points out he was charged with reckless driving 94 back in 2000.
We would have been much more impressed had he been doing 100 mpG in a Prius, not mpH.
Al Gore's son charged with pot possession
Sunday, December 21, 2003 Posted: 12:57 PM EST (1757 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The son of former Vice President Al Gore was arrested Friday night on a marijuana possession charge after police stopped the car he was driving for not having its headlights on, according to a news release from the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Police Services.
Albert Gore III, 21, was behind the wheel of a Cadillac driving in downtown Bethesda at 11:30 p.m. EST Friday when it was spotted by a unit with the Montgomery County Police Holiday Task Force, the statement said.
After he pulled the car over, Officer Robert Cassels noticed all of its windows and the sunroof were opened despite the freezing temperature, and he "smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside the car," the statement said.
A search of the car found "a partial marijuana cigarette" and "a cardboard cigarette box with a baggie containing suspected marijuana," the police statement said.
In addition to Gore, police charged two male passengers in the car with a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana. The three were released from jail, pending trial.
Gore, a Harvard University student, has had previous brushes with the law. He was ticketed for reckless driving by North Carolina police in August 2000 when he was clocked going 94 mph. Military police arrested him for drunk driving near a military base in Virginia in September 2002.
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