Rip Torn Asks for Trial in New York DUI
Actor Rip Torn has asked for a trial before a judge on his DUI charge in North Salem, New York. Torn’s strategy is unusual. Most DUI defendants, going to trial, demand a jury.
The 76-year-old actor was arrested after he lost control of his sedan and struck a tractor-trailer. Torn was acquitted of DUI in 2004 after jurors decided that the prosecutor had not proven he had been drinking before a fender-bender with a taxi. Police videotape had shown Torn arguing with police officers and refusing a sobriety test, claiming he was angry, not drunk.
Torn’s screen credits include the Men in Black movies and The Larry Sanders Show.