Celebrities are constantly making headlines for any number of reasons. Their lives are depicted in the media, publicizing any mistakes they may make. One star that has grown up in the spotlight, Amanda Bynes, has been in the news this past week for reasons other than her acting career. The star that made a name for herself on Nickelodeon, a television network marketed primarily at younger children, was arrested this past Friday under charges of drunk driving.

The 26 year old actress was driving in West Hollywood around 3:00 am when she side swiped the car of a police officer while trying to pass. The incident occurred near the Santa Monica Blvd. and Robertson intersection. No serious damage occurred to the officer or their car but the actress was taken out for questioning. The officer ran a number of field sobriety tests that the actress failed and she was then taken into custody for a DUI. At about 10:00am, a few hours after the arrest, Bynes was released on bail. Bail was set at $5,000 and the actress will need to return to court to resolve her case.

Many say the news is no shock to them since Bynes has been spotted continuously clubbing and drinking in the Hollywood area recently. Those who have seen the actress out have noted that she appeared to be significantly intoxicated. One paparazzi member even warned the valet at a party Bynes was at that she should not be given her keys to drive. The actress however took off in her car despite the warnings. Bynes also had another recent run in with law enforcement in the area when she was pulled over for talking on her cell phone. As the officer was writing up the ticket for her, the actress took off driving in her car. Bynes later returned to the police station to sign for the ticket.

While she began her acting career on the child network, she went on to have her own show later on as well as starring in a few movies. She announced she was retiring from acting but later made a return on just in time for the release of a new movie she was in. In addition to her acting career, Bynes tried to make her way into the fashion world by designing a clothing line of her own. Unfortunately she ran into a setback when the company she was designing for filed for bankruptcy and eventually closed down.

While this is the first DUI arrest for the actress, if she is unable to successfully dispute the charges she can be facing several penalties. A DUI charge in California for a first time offender may not be as serious as a multiple offense but can still lead to sentencing. Charges may involve jail time, license suspension, fines, and rehabilitative programs among other repercussions. For those that are repeat offenders they can have an ignition interlock devise place don their car; a device that reads the BAC level of the driver and restricts the car from starting if they are intoxicated. When an accident is involved in the DUI charge the penalties will also be increased even among first time offenders.

It is illegal to be driving with a blood alcohol content level that is above .08 percent, and those found to be driving with a level that reaches over .16 percent will be more harshly penalized. A DUI is a criminal charge that can be issued to many drivers. Unlike other criminal acts, drunk driving can be a genuine error on the fault of a driver when they didn't realize they were over the legal limit. Other times the officer can make a mistake when administering field sobriety tests, leading them to arrest an innocent person. In any type of DUI charge an attorney should be contacted as soon as possible so they can begin providing defense from the beginning of a case.