Re: The latest on Downey Jr.

[Guest guest]

At 06:23 PM 12/28/00 -0600, you wrote:

> " We might recommend very intense treatment, " Schwarzlose of the Betty

>Ford clinic told CNN. " For someone who's gone through treatment before, we

>might be talking a long-term [program]. . .where he's cut off from the

>outside world, and doing nothing but working on his addiction. "

>

>My God...they're going to send him to hell.

What a bizarre philosophy the man has. " For someone who's gone

through something that didn't do him any good, we recommend

putting him through a lot more of it. "

[Guest guest]

Downey's problem is the 12-steps. The 12-steps don't work. For

people who have been neglected or abused as children, AA can be very

damaging and can cause severe self-destructive reactions.

How can a system drive a person into a religious/sadistic cult over

and over again. When will the courts learn that this BS is not

working for RD Jr. ??? They simply want to grind him down and break

him or kill him if need be.

Fuck AA.

He needs to go to Amsterdam, like Altman told him back when. Get the

hell out of this sick country and away from the positively medieval

home-brew religion of AA.

-GPdA

> How many times does one have to go through rehab before he finally

gets that

> he has a problem? Read this and decide for yourself.

>

> Downey Pleads Innocent to Drug Charges

>

> With dozens of flashbulbs catching his every sober stare and major

news

> networks from CNN to MSNBC broadcasting the proceedings,

Downey

> Jr.'s battle with drug addiction has become America's case du jour.

>

> The sobriety-challenged actor was arraigned Wednesday in an Indio,

> California, courtroom on drug charges stemming from an alleged

Thanksgiving

> weekend binge, in which he was busted for possession of cocaine and

Valium.

>

> With a steady voice, Downey pleaded not guilty to two felony

charges of

> possession of cocaine and the prescription depressant diazepam, and

a

> misdemeanor charge of being under the influence of a controlled

substance.

>

> Downey's lead attorney, Brookman, kicked off the day's

hearing by

> asking the judge for a continuance, because he said his team had

only

> received the evidence from the District Attorney's office on

December 22.

>

> However, Judge B.J. Bjork denied the request at Deputy District

Attorney

> Tricia 's urging, and instead ordered Downey to enter his plea.

>

> Brookman sought to delay the arraignment to give his side more time

to

> review the evidence, such as videotapes, audio tapes and laboratory

> analysis of a Downey blood sample taken by police when they

arrested him

> Thanksgiving weekend in a Palm Springs hotel room. Police went to

the

> 35-year-old actor's room at the Merv Resort the night of

November

> 25, after an anonymous 911 caller said there were drugs and weapons

there.

> They allegedly found a small amount of drugs, but no weapons.

>

> If convicted on all charges, Downey could face up to four years and

eight

> months in state prison.

>

> " I wasn't surprised [by the Judge's decision], " said Brookman, in a

press

> conference following Wednesday's court hearing. " The prosecution has

> indicated they want to go forward with this case. This is just a

normal

> procedural motion. Generally we're pleased with what happened

today. "

>

> Downey, who looked more lucid than previous court appearances,

stood before

> the judge and answered his questions with a polite " yes " or " no. "

>

> " Mr. Downey is very optimistic and upbeat, " added Brookman when

asked about

> the actor's current state of mind. " He's committed to moving on and

> addressing the issues as they present themselves. "

>

> Since Downey was arrested in Indio, the charges against him are

considered

> an EDP case--meaning it falls under the county's and the state of

> California's Expedited Drug Program.

>

> As part of EDP, counsel for Downey and the prosecution will sit

down and

> try to resolve the charges themselves. If they fail to strike a

deal by the

> EDP court date (in this case, Downey will return to court January

29), then

> Downey's case will go through the regular trial motions.

>

> " Settlement talks are something traditionally we don't comment on, "

said

> Deputy District Attorney Tricia afterward. " Mr. Downey faces

anywhere

> between probation and state prison, and sentencing would be up to a

judge,

> but we are moving forward on this. "

>

> Downey's current legal woes are just the latest in a sad string of

troubles

> dating back to June 1996, when a traffic stop turned up cocaine,

heroin and

> a loaded pistol. A month later, the actor was found passed out on a

child's

> bed in a neighbor's house. Three days later, he was busted for

leaving a

> recovery center.

>

> Downey got off with three years' probation in 1996, but failed to

escape

> his addictions, and the following year, ended up spending time in

Los

> Angeles County jail for violating his probation. In 1999, he was

sentenced

> to Corcoran State Prison in central California after again

relapsing.

>

> All told, Downey has made at least eight trips to rehab in the past

four

> years, including time spent in a halfway house in August, after he

was

> released from Corcoran.

>

> Downey's transition back to show-biz, up until Thanksgiving, had

been

> smooth. Considered one of the most talented actors of his

generation,

> Downey landed a recurring role as Ally's love interest on Fox's Ally

> McBeal. The part even snagged him a Golden Globe nomination.

>

> It's still too early to tell how Downey's latest battle with his

addiction

> will affect his future in Hollywood.

>

> " We might recommend very intense treatment, " Schwarzlose of

the Betty

> Ford clinic told CNN. " For someone who's gone through treatment

before, we

> might be talking a long-term [program]. . .where he's cut off from

the

> outside world, and doing nothing but working on his addiction. "

>

> The threat of jail time will likely sink his participation in

several other

> high-profile projects. Downey was scheduled to appear onstage in Los

> Angeles as the tortured lead in a Mel Gibson-directed Hamlet as

well as

> costar with in the comedy America's Sweethearts. Fox

is

> taking a wait-and-see approach as to whether the actor will

continue on

> Ally

>

> Sue A

[Guest guest]

I hate ME TOO posts, except when I make them...

Right on Nate!

P.

> " We might recommend very intense treatment, " Schwarzlose of the

Betty

> Ford clinic told CNN. " For someone who's gone through treatment

before, we

> might be talking a long-term [program]. . .where he's cut off from

the

> outside world, and doing nothing but working on his addiction. "

>

> My God...they're going to send him to hell.

>

> It's my view that we own ourselves just as we own a car or a

snowmobile. If a person wants to burn up his tires doing donuts or

fry his transmission, it's his $$$. In this case, it's Mr. Downey's

life he should be able to live the way he will.

>

> Decriminalize drugs. Everybody who wants them can get them anyway.

> 1. It would cause the price to drop. People wouldn't have to

commit crimes to afford a fix.

> 2. We'd save money because would wouldn't have to stop drug

smuggling.

> 3. We wouldn't have to jail drug dealers or people like Mr. Downey.

> 4, We could tax the living hell out of it.(And it would still be

much cheaper.)

> 5. Product would be safer.

> 6. The drug war is eating away at our civil right and creating a

police state.

>

> These are just six reasons. There are many others but my wife and I

have to go buy a digital camera.

>

> Later

>

> Nate