Van Halen Enters Plea On Handgun
Rock star Eddie Van Halen pleaded no contest to unlawfully carrying a handgun into Burbank Airport and was fined $910 and placed on one year of probation, a prosecutor said Thursday.
Van Halen, 40, of Studio City appeared at Burbank Municipal Court to enter his plea Wednesday, eight days before his scheduled arraignment.
“He was advised of his constitutional rights, asked how he wanted to plea, and said, ‘No contest,’ ” said Burbank Deputy City Atty. Robert W. Walters. “He’s human. He’s no different than anyone else.”
The famed guitarist with the rock group Van Halen was arrested last Friday for carrying a .25-caliber semiautomatic Beretta into Burbank Airport before boarding a United Airlines flight.
The gun, registered under Van Halen’s name, was reportedly detected inside a piece of carry-on luggage by a routine security X-ray machine. Van Halen later told airport police that he had forgotten to remove the gun before boarding the plane.
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