Osment Charged With Drunk Driving

"Sixth Sense" Star Also Faces Drug Charges

GLENDALE, Calif., Aug. 17, 2006 | by Judy Faber

(AP)  Teen actor Haley Joel Osment, who suffered a broken rib last month when his car struck a mailbox, faces up to six months in jail on charges that he was driving drunk and possessing marijuana, authorities said.

Osment's blood-alcohol level after the July 20 crash was measured at .16, twice the legal limit, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

The 18-year-old actor was charged Thursday with misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, marijuana possession and driving under the influence with the special allegation of having a blood-alcohol content of .15 percent or higher. He also faces a vehicle code infraction of being under the age of 21 and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .05 or greater.

Osment is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 19 in Glendale Superior Court.

His attorney will work with authorities to arrange a time for the star of such films as "The Sixth Sense" and "Pay it Forward" to surrender, Robison said. The district attorney plans to request that bail be set at $15,000.

DreamWorks spokesman and family friend Marvin Levy was out of his office Thursday and did not immediately return a call for comment. He said Wednesday that Osment has recovered from his injuries and is preparing to attend college in the fall.

The actor recently finished work on the film "Home of the Giants."

"He's fine. The injuries were slight, not serious," Levy said.

Authorities said Osment was driving home alone about 1 a.m. when his 1995 Saturn hit a mailbox and flipped over.

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