Oscar winner and beloved film star, Reese Witherspoon, was arrested on April 19 in Atlanta, and charged with disorderly conduct for interfering with the arrest of her husband, James Toth. Toth, 42, was suspected of driving under the influ
ence, and was charged with a DUI. Both Witherspoon and Toth were briefly imprisoned, according to CNN.com.
Witherspoon, 37, was in Atlanta shooting her new drama titled “The Good Lie,” when Toth’s arrest occurred. Officer J. Pyland pulled the couple over after witnessing Toth swerve in and out of lanes. Toth blew a 0.139 on the breathalyzer, well above Georgia’s legal limit of 0.08.
The “Legally Blonde” actress reportedly refused to stay seated in the car after being told to by Officer Pyland, requiring him to arrest her. “I put my hands on Mrs. Witherspoon’s arms to arrest her,” said Pyland. “Mrs. Witherspoon was resistant, but I was able to put handcuffs on her without incident due to Mr. Toth calming her [down].” The actress then allegedly made comments to Pyland such as “Do you know who I am?” and “You’re about to find out who I am.”
The couple was taken to Atlanta City Jail and released early the following morning. Their court date is scheduled for May 22; according to People.com.
“A typical plea deal in a DUI case such as Toth’s would involve fines, 40 hours of community service and 12 months of probation,” says Ben Alper, an Atlanta criminal defense attorney who is not affiliated with the case.
Witherspoon made an apologetic statement regarding her arrest; “But I do want to say, I clearly had one drink too many and I am deeply embarrassed about the things I said. It was definitely a scary situation and I was frightened for my husband, but that is no excuse,” said the actress. “I was disrespectful to the officer who was just doing his job. I have nothing but respect for the police and I’m very sorry for my behavior.”
