Samantha Ronson charged with drunken driving (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Celebrity DJ and Lindsay Lohan's ex-girlfriend Samantha Ronson was charged with drunken driving following her recent arrest in a small desert town in California, officials said on Tuesday.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office said Ronson was charged with two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and having a blood alcohol level of .08 or above.

Ronson was arrested on August 1 near Baker, Calif., a small town about 125 miles northeast of Los Angeles. She was on her way back from playing a gig at the Palazzo in Las Vegas.

The celebrity DJ is a popular draw at nightclubs and is known for her past relationship with troubled actress Lohan, who has battled legal problems in recent years as she struggled with drug and alcohol dependency.

(Reporting by Jason Kandel; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Al Pacino's daughter arrested for drunken driving (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The 21-year-old daughter of actor Al Pacino was arrested in Manhattan for driving while intoxicated, police said on Sunday.

Julie Pacino was arrested shortly around 1:30 a.m. at a DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) checkpoint on the border of the Soho and West Village neighborhoods. She was later arraigned and released on her own recognizance, New York Police Department spokesman James Duffy said.

Her exact blood-alcohol level was not immediately available, but People magazine quoted Duffy as saying "She had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and the strong smell of alcohol on her breath," and admitted to drinking three beers and smoking marijuana prior to entering the checkpoint.

After learning of the arrest, Al Pacino, a multi-Oscar nominee who won best actor for "Scent of a Woman," rushed back from Los Angeles where he has been filming a biopic on music producer Phil Spector.

The daughter of Pacino and acting coach Jan Tarrant, Julie Pacino attended UCLA, where she was a member of the softball team.

(Reporting by Christopher Michaud; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Hilton brother to compensate drunk driving victim (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Barron Hilton, younger brother of US socialite Paris Hilton, was ordered by a California court to pay almost $4.9 million to a gas station attendant he struck while driving intoxicated, the victim's attorney said.

According to authorities, in February 2008 Barron Hilton struck Fernando Mendoza Tellez, an employee at a Malibu gas station.

Hilton, who was 18 years old at the time, was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

An investigation also showed that Hilton had allegedly driven around Malibu in his Mercedes-Benz and was involved in a collision with at least one other vehicle before he hit Tellez that day.

According to the ruling, Hilton must pay Tellez a sum of some $4.89 million for the pain, suffering, medical expenses and loss of income that the accident caused.

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