Salisbury, CT
Rip does look pretty ripped in the mugshot. Not his best look…
Following a wild ride in his ’94 Subaru — with a Christmas tree strapped to the top — Rip Torn has pled not guilty to drunken driven charges in Connecticut.Two years after losing his license for similar charges in New York, the 30 Rock star entered a not guilty plea Monday to charges that he illegally operated a motor vehicle under the influence and failed to drive in the proper lane in Salisbury, Conn. on Dec. 14.
Details of his arrest have only just been released.
Authorities say Rip was driving his old Subaru in the breakdown lane when he was stopped. A fresh Christmas tree was tied to the top of the vehicle.
After failing a portion of his field sobriety exam — blaming the ground for not being level — he refused a breathalyzer. When he was put in the trooper’s cruiser, he used profanity.
Rip’s potty mouth isn’t out of the ordinary. In 2004, he was arrested in New York City after crashing his car into a taxi and charged with DWI. A police videotape famously showed him cursing and screaming at officers before refusing a sobriety test. He was later found not guilty.
In 2007, the actor paid a $380 fine and lost his license for 90 days after pleading guilty to DWI in North Salem, a town in Westchester County about 60 miles north of Manhattan.
Despite his previous arrests in nearby New York, Rip is a first-time offender in Connecticut and could qualify for the state’s alcohol education program and keep his license.
He’s expected back in court on Jan. 28.