The Price Stars Pay for Driving Drunk

Even if her attorney can broker a deal before April 10, actress Mischa Barton's drunken holiday joy ride will really cost her.

On February 26 the Los Angeles District Attorney announced that Barton, 21, will be charged with drunk driving and possession of marijuana. Police first arrested the former O.C. (NWS) actress around 3 a.m. December 27 in West Hollywood after they observed her car “straddling two lanes of traffic.” The Keds (PSS) model was under the influence of alcohol, in possession of 28.5 grams or less of marijuana, and without a valid driver’s license. Meanwhile, her lawyer, Anthony Salerno, says he hopes to reach a probation deal involving mandatory alcohol awareness classes. Otherwise, her next court hearing is April 10. "I'm really disappointed in myself," Barton later told Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM (CCU) radio show. "I just don't ever intend to do something this stupid again."

This is nothing stupid about that pronouncement. While it is paramount to billboard that impaired driving costs lives, something to be considered—on an infinitesimally more minor scale—is that DUI charges can also wreck havoc on your financial health, too. A court fine for a first offense typically ranges between $1,200 and $2,500, according to William C. Makler, a Santa Barbara, Calif. attorney specializing in DUIs. If police take your vehicle into custody, add impound and storage fees of around $1,500, along with a $115 booking fee. Getting your restricted license and, eventually, your permanent one, costs another $120 in reinstatement fees. Mandatory drug and alcohol assessment and counseling also costs about $600. Those are just some obvious costs. If your erratic driving required emergency response – the fire department or paramedics– there is a cost recovery statute that bills you for their efforts, which can run from $700 to $2,000. Right there, we’re talking potentially $7,000.