April 23, 2008 11:00

Bon Jovi guitarist given probation for drink driving

Richie Sambora receives his sentence for March felony

Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora has been given a sentence of three years probation, must attend a three-month alcohol education class and must pay legal fees for drink driving.

Sambora was pulled over by police on March 25 in Laguna Beach, California for driving under the influence of alcohol after police observed his vehicle weaving in traffic.

Because his daughter Ava was in the car, local officers had recommended that Sambora face additional charges of child endangerment.

However, People reports that prosecutors at a court in Newport Beach, California, declined to level that charge against the musician.

Sambora was not present at the hearing today (April 23), but his attorney entered a guilty plea to one count of DUI on his behalf.

According to a spokesperson for the Orange County District Attorney, Farrah Emami, the guitarist avoided the child endangerment charge as his driving was not overly erratic and he had not been speeding.

She told Reuters: "We believe that in order for us to file child endangerment charges there would have had to be additional aggravating circumstances."