Emmy Award-winning actor Rip Torn may be heading to the big house. A judge ruled against Torn’s request for a special probation program Wednesday, saying the charges are too severe to qualify him. Earlier this year in January, Rip Torn was arrested for breaking into a bank in Connecticut, armed and intoxicated.
Rip Torn faces a number of criminal charges
Rip Torn, whose real name is Elmore Rual Torn, has had troubles in the past with alcohol-related incidents. The latest drunken event took place in Salisbury, Conn., where Torn was arrested for allegedly breaking into a local branch office of Litchfield Bancorp during closing hours when loaded with a firearm without a permit. Police were quick to respond to an alarm that went off at the bank location. Holding a loaded .22-caliber pistol, the Men in Black actor was found wandering inside the facility. According to court records, Torn had a blood-alcohol level of 0.203, almost three times the lawful limit for Connecticut drivers.
Torn had pleaded not guilty to second-degree criminal trespassing, carrying a weapon without a permit, carrying a weapon while intoxicated and third-degree criminal mischief, according to the Associated Press.
Other criminal incidents related to alcohol
In January of 2004, Torn was arrested within the Big Apple after his car crashed into a taxi. Aired on television news was an angry Rip Torn cursing at police officers and refusing to take a breathalyzer test. He was acquitted from all charges in October of that year. Just two years later, in December of 2006, the actor crashed into a tractor trailer in North Salem, New York, and he was again arrested for drunk driving. He pleaded guilty, had his driver’s license revoked for 90 days and was ordered to pay a $ 380 fine.
Judge says no to probation
Sadly for Rip Torn, there is no special treatment for the Hollywood actor. Litchfield Superior Court Judge James Ginocchio has rejected his proposal, saying the charges placed on 79-year-old Torn are too serious to qualify him for the accelerated rehabilitation program. The fact that Torn was still in a court-ordered alcohol education program from a previous DUI charge at the time of the bank break-in certainly doesn’t help his situation. His lawyer has requested a court-ordered evaluation of Torn’s alcohol dependency issues, and depending on the results, Torn could be ordered to go through a state-monitored treatment for up to two years before any charges might be dropped.
Further reading
Yahoo News
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100811/ap_on_en_tv/us_people_rip_torn_12
