AIRPORT COURTHOUSE Miscommunication was the culprit behind why Daniel Baldwin missed a scheduled court appearance here last Friday, causing a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to issue a warrant for his arrest, according to the troubled actor’s attorney.
The second oldest of the four acting Baldwin brothers was called to LAX Courthouse for a status report on his drug rehabilitation, but was instead in Toronto for a film shoot for the HBO-produced movie “Grey Gardens.” The 47-year-old actor’s court appearance stems from misdemeanor charges following his April 2006 arrest in Santa Monica, when officers found an allegedly high Baldwin lounging around in the Ocean Park Inn with a drug pipe in his hands. Baldwin and his drug buddy, Winston Anthony, both admitted to being high on illegal drugs and were arrested for possession of cocaine, possession of narcotic paraphernalia and being under the influence of narcotics, according to police.
Run-ins with the SMPD continued for Baldwin when, later that year, he was arrested for drug possession and driving a stolen vehicle after Santa Monica police spotted the actor leaving a Santa Monica hotel in the late morning hours of Nov. 7 in a stolen 2003 GMC Yukon.
Baldwin is out of the country on a temporary travel permit issued by the Los Angeles County Probation Department and there was miscommunica-tion as to the actor’s scheduled court appearance, said his attorney, Grant Hoagland, on Monday.
“I wish I would’ve known about it because I could’ve popped into court on Friday for him, but he wanted to do the progress reports himself,” Hoagland said.
When Baldwin or a representative failed to show up, Judge Scott Millington issued a no-bail bench warrant and revoked Baldwin’s probation.
Hoagland said he plans to go to court today to present documentation that Baldwin was out of the country legally, as permitted by probation officers.
“I understand what the judge did, it’s totally what he had to do,” Hoagland said.
Baldwin plays the role of Julius Krug, the former U.S. secretary of interior, in “Grey Gardens,” a film about the lives of Edith “Big Edie” Bouvier Beale and Edith “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale — the aunt and first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The film stars Jessica Lange as “Big Edie” and Drew Barrymore as “Little Edie” and is scheduled for release in 2008.
The brother of William, Stephen and Alec Baldwin, Daniel admitted in 1998 to battling a drug addiction since he started his career in Hollywood. Following his arrest last year, he spent several months with the Renaissance Malibu drug rehab program. The actor recently appeared on ABC News’ “Primetime” in a segment that chronicled his battles with drug addiction and its affect on his personal and professional lives. The Associated Press contributed to this report
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 11, 2007. Read the original PDF.