‘90210’ Actress Doesn’t Contest DUI Charge

Actress Shannen Doherty pleaded no contest Monday to drunk driving, acting on the day her trial was scheduled to begin in Ventura County Superior Court.

Doherty, a star of television’s “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Charmed,” entered pleas on misdemeanor charges of driving while under the influence and driving with a blood-alcohol level higher than 0.08%.

“Shannen, taking responsibility for her actions, decided she didn’t want to go forward with this,” said her defense attorney, Trent Copeland of Los Angeles. “It didn’t make sense for her professionally to fight this.”

Judge Charles Campbell found Doherty guilty based on her no-contest pleas. The 30-year-old actress faces a maximum of two days in jail and three years’ probation when she is sentenced June 12.

But Copeland said he plans to ask the judge to impose an alternative sentence that would take advantage of Doherty’s celebrity. That could include work-release time spent speaking to youth organizations, instead of jail time. She also faces a fine of $1,500 and will be required to attend alcohol information school, which includes education and counseling.

California Highway Patrol officers pulled Doherty over in Thousand Oaks Dec. 28 after they noticed her pickup weaving. She was arrested and released several hours later.

Doherty refused to take a breath test at the scene. Authorities instead administered a blood test, which showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.13%. Copeland, however, said there was “clearly a dispute” over that level.

In January, Copeland entered a not-guilty plea on his client’s behalf.