Redmond O'Neal Arrested For Drugs While In Rehab

LOS ANGELES — Redmond O'Neal, the troubled son of Ryan O'Neal and the late Farrah Fawcett, was back in jail after a judge found he committed a drug-related probation violation. O'Neal, 24, appeared Tuesday at a brief hearing before Superior Court Judge Michael Tynan after being jailed on Dec. 29.

O'Neal was released from jail last year after a series of drug-related arrests and told to attend an intense drug treatment program that would be his last chance to avoid up to six years in state prison.

It was unclear what prompted Tynan to find O'Neal in violation of his probation, but the program required O'Neal to undergo frequent drug testing.

District attorney's spokeswoman Jane Robison said O'Neal gave Tynan a sealed, handwritten letter during Tuesday's hearing.

O'Neal's attorney Richard Pintal declined to discuss its contents, saying Tynan told O'Neal to write the letter as an assignment.

O'Neal will remain in custody until he returns to court on Feb. 2, Robison said.

Ryan O'Neal was not present in court Tuesday.

Redmond O'Neal was in jail during Fawcett's final days. He was briefly released for a last visit and allowed to attend her funeral.

Comments

[washlib]

03:43 PM on 01/07/2010

drug use is NOT a criminal matter. Crimes resulting from drug use are. We need to separate the two, and stop putting addicts in jail just for PERSONAL POSSESSION AND USE.

[Gasparilla]

08:01 AM on 01/07/2010

I wonder if he will get off as light as Jeb Bush's daughter Noel, who was caught with a rock in her shoe in court ordered rehab, which happened after she wrote fake prescriptions. She got a few days in jail.

[mh11060]

01:11 PM on 01/07/2010

Yeah, kind of forgot all about that story! We'll hear about it again hopefully if Jeb ever tries to run again.

[roch20]

02:31 AM on 01/07/2010

Hard to "bounce" after dealing with this terrible loss, I hope you will do better, sooner rather than later, please, everyone, fingers crossed!

[jjgg5]

12:36 AM on 01/07/2010

Way too much co-dependency is expressed in these postings. He's a major addict with a lot of money. People do get treatment in jail, if they are amenable. How else can any treatment be ensured for chronic abusers? Get better and sober or stay in jail. Rich people should not be exempted.

[kk2b]

07:18 PM on 01/06/2010

Depressing that in this day and age we consider addictions/drug use a criminal matter. Tried of our jails overflowing with people who's only is crime using drugs.

Einstein once said "The definition of insaniy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

Nixon started the DEA over 35 years ago, the drug laws and enforcement have been unable to stop people from using and never will. When do we finally admit that what we have been doing the last 35+ years has failed and it's time to try a new direction.

I haven't used an illegal drug in over 25 years so changing the laws wouldn't affect me but they sure would help the society I live in and the 100,000's who lives are destroyed either by drugs and/or the criminal system because they were caught using drugs.

[roch20]

02:32 AM on 01/07/2010

You're right!

[SFBunkSurf]

06:17 PM on 01/06/2010

Damaged goods. It will take incredible strength for him to leave that stuff alone...

[Ascoli]

05:15 PM on 01/06/2010

I pray he'll get well.

[MomfromTexas]

04:28 PM on 01/06/2010

Sorry to hear this. I wish him the best. Twenty-four is young to be so addicted, but it's also young enough to completely start over, and I hope he is able to do this. He needs long-term treatment--at least six months, but a year would be preferable--to truly see a life without drugs. I hope this is what he gets, and not just a few months somewhere. That won't cut it.

[cargofuzz]

11:28 AM on 01/06/2010

This poor kid never had a chance.

[oregon bird]

11:42 AM on 01/06/2010

His father hit on his own daughter at his ex-wife's funeral. Try to tell me that he didn't abuse his son to the point of insanity.

[mapmaker515]

02:54 PM on 01/06/2010

Exactly.

[SteveDenver]

10:38 AM on 01/06/2010

"Men without occupations become ridiculous."

I live across the hall from a kid who's dad owns the building where I rent. He is one of those children of privilege whose parents dump money on, but never visit. He has absolutely no clue as to value or effort. He is beautiful, bored and abusive.

[bokiluis]

09:43 AM on 01/06/2010

Another piece of evidence that addictions can be inherited. Sad, sad story for the entire family.

Watching Ryan O'Neal as Rodney Harrington on Peyton Place, I was sure he was this upper class jock.....his real life has been anything but. Illusions.

[Relic61]

10:05 AM on 01/06/2010

What evidence? Please explain.

[lockDown]

07:53 AM on 01/06/2010

Why didn't he use his privilege to become something?

[Relic61]

10:06 AM on 01/06/2010

He did. A hardcore junky.

[daringdo]

04:55 AM on 01/06/2010

Redmond may have had all the material things that one could want. Addiction doesn't care about money or the lack thereof. He may have been loved and adored even with such hopelessly messed up parents. Addiction doesn't care about love, your social class, or fame.

I agree with the poster who said he looks like a fountain of sorrow. He looks angry and full of sorrow. I can see he carries a massive weight just by looking at his body language and his face. He needs to dig deep and deal with whatever THAT is, or he will never heal from addiction. I don't know that he has it in him, he looks fragile to me. To me it looks like slow suicide.

I feel badly for Redmond, really sorry for him and whatever he's going through and what he's gone through in his short life. If I wished for one thing for this young man, I'd wish that he goes on to really be a benefit to the world or his little corner of it anyway.

If I were to tell him anything I'd tell him that he doesn't have to deal with it all TODAY, but he needs to START today, then take it a day at a time. Good luck Redmond, I wish you the best.

[Amerigucci]

03:29 AM on 01/06/2010

Is O'Neal in jail for any crime other than using drugs?

[skullman]

07:31 AM on 01/06/2010

Thats a good question, because if thats the extent of his crimes we are wasting prison space that could be much better used by housing white collar criminals.

Drug addicts need treatment, not prison.

[me again]

09:25 AM on 01/06/2010

He is also a distributor.

[Rhayden]

03:14 AM on 01/06/2010

This guy's an addict, and I sympathize with him on this point. However, he seems unwilling to live in reality and accept the consequences of his actions.

[TequilaMockingbird]

11:34 PM on 01/06/2010

Why should jail be the consequences of Drug Addiction?