Mariah Carey - Drunk in Public or Just Publically Drunk?
Last week, Mariah Carey accepted an award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival while she was visibly under the influence. Carey was giddy, her behavior was a bit erratic and her speech was slurred. But here’s the question – was Mariah Carey “drunk in public”?
And the answer is no…at least not according to Penal Code 647(f) California’s “drunk in public” law. This is because Penal Code 647(f) California’s “drunk in public” law prohibits
- being intoxicated to the point that you are a safety risk to yourself or others, or
- being so intoxicated that you obstruct or prevent others from using public areas.
As long as you aren’t so impaired that you meet either of the above criteria, being “drunk in public” is not a criminal offense in California. If it were, the police would be inundated with arrests at nightclubs, bars, sporting events, concerts, and any other venue where alcohol is commonly served.
So the answer to the question is that even though Mariah was publicly drunk, she was not guilty of being drunk in public.
