bkk344
06-30-2005, 04:13 AM
Once again, The Smoking Gun website has found a skeleton in the closet of an American Idol contestant, and this time, their target is top five finalist Bo Bice. In a report posted this morning, the website is reporting that Bice was arrested in June 2001 at a strip mall in Madison County, Alabama, and charged with felony possession of cocaine. In the state of Alabama, possession of any controlled substance other than marijuana is a Class C felony. Anyone convicted can be sentenced to up to ten years in prison, and the maximum fine is $5000.
According to the police report published on the site, Bice, who was 25 at the time, was jailed but posted $1000 bond and was subsequently released. His preliminary hearing was set for August 29, 2001, after having been postponed for a week. The case was subsequently dismissed when the police investigator assigned to the case failed to appear in court.
In 2003, it appeared as though state prosecutors were about to reopen the case. Rather than go through a trial, Bice voluntarily agreed to enter a drug diversion program run by the district attorney’s office. This program, known as the Mandatory Treatment Act, was instituted in 1990, and offers individuals who have been arrested or charged with a violation of any illegal drug law the opportunity to participate in a drug rehabilitation program as an alternative to being tried for the offense.
While details of Bice’s treatment are confidential, The Smoking Gun reports that he completed the program and the case was finally laid to rest on April 28, 2004, exactly one year ago to the day of the release of this story. It is currently unknown as to whether or not Bice revealed this arrest to the Idol producers.
Bo Bice is the second Idol contestant this season to become a target of this website that specializes in revealing criminal records of celebrities. In March, the site published Scott Savol’s mug shot and a story about his arrest in 2001 after an altercation with his then-fiancé. Idol producers came to Savol’s defense, claiming that he had told them all about this before becoming a finalist, and that they had information regarding the case that further exonerated him.
In 2003, a story in the “Gun” cost Frenchie Davis a trip to the finals when it was revealed that she had once posed topless for a website that featured questionable photos. Later that season, the site proved to be the downfall of finalist Corey Clark who had not told producers of his arrest in 2002 for battery. Clark was disqualified from the competition, and is now peddling stories about his time on Idol, though Paula Abdul and others have spoken out against him.
If Bo had previously told Idol producers about this 3 ½-year-old arrest, it likely won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. However, if producers are just learning about this for the first time, it could spell trouble for the Idol rocker.
According to the police report published on the site, Bice, who was 25 at the time, was jailed but posted $1000 bond and was subsequently released. His preliminary hearing was set for August 29, 2001, after having been postponed for a week. The case was subsequently dismissed when the police investigator assigned to the case failed to appear in court.
In 2003, it appeared as though state prosecutors were about to reopen the case. Rather than go through a trial, Bice voluntarily agreed to enter a drug diversion program run by the district attorney’s office. This program, known as the Mandatory Treatment Act, was instituted in 1990, and offers individuals who have been arrested or charged with a violation of any illegal drug law the opportunity to participate in a drug rehabilitation program as an alternative to being tried for the offense.
While details of Bice’s treatment are confidential, The Smoking Gun reports that he completed the program and the case was finally laid to rest on April 28, 2004, exactly one year ago to the day of the release of this story. It is currently unknown as to whether or not Bice revealed this arrest to the Idol producers.
Bo Bice is the second Idol contestant this season to become a target of this website that specializes in revealing criminal records of celebrities. In March, the site published Scott Savol’s mug shot and a story about his arrest in 2001 after an altercation with his then-fiancé. Idol producers came to Savol’s defense, claiming that he had told them all about this before becoming a finalist, and that they had information regarding the case that further exonerated him.
In 2003, a story in the “Gun” cost Frenchie Davis a trip to the finals when it was revealed that she had once posed topless for a website that featured questionable photos. Later that season, the site proved to be the downfall of finalist Corey Clark who had not told producers of his arrest in 2002 for battery. Clark was disqualified from the competition, and is now peddling stories about his time on Idol, though Paula Abdul and others have spoken out against him.
If Bo had previously told Idol producers about this 3 ½-year-old arrest, it likely won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. However, if producers are just learning about this for the first time, it could spell trouble for the Idol rocker.