Cameron Douglas Sentenced to 5 Years in Drug Case

By Marc Schneider Posted Apr 20th 2010 03:58PM

Calling it his "last chance to make it," a New York judge on Tuesday sentenced Michael Douglas' son to five years in prison for his role in dealing methamphetamine and cocaine in New York City, the AP reports. Cameron Douglas apologized to Federal Judge Richard Berman and the court and admitted he was responsible for not turning his life around. In addition to jail time, Douglas was ordered to pay $25,000 in fines and will spend an additional five years in a release program.

The 31-year-old actor had faced 10 years behind bars, but the sentencing is seen as a clear rejection of the defense's request that Douglas serve, at most, three and a half years in prison.

Michael Douglas was in the courtroom for the announcement and appeared dejected as he and ex-wife Diandra Luker, Cameron's mother, exited the building. On Monday, the famed 'Wall Street' actor penned a personal letter asking a judge to have mercy on his son, writing that the family's long history of drug abuse exacerbated his downward spiral.

"He is an adult and responsible for his own actions," Michael Douglas wrote, but added that "genes, family and peer pressure" also contributed to his son's substance abuse problems, which led to his getting involved in drug-dealing.

Berman said he read the father's letter, along with others sent from supporters who all shared the same belief that Douglas was ready to "turn his life around." However, the judge determined full rehabilitation outside of prison would "be a very difficult chore," adding, "I think this case and this sentencing may well be his last chance to make it."

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Michael Douglas Snapshots

Michael Douglas and ex-wife Diandra Luker exit Manhattan federal court amid a crush of reporters following the sentencing of their son Cameron on Tuesday. Cameron received a 5-year sentence after pleading guilty to drug charges. More Photos >>

FR77522 AP

Michael Douglas Snapshots

Michael Douglas exits Manhattan federal court following the sentencing of his son Cameron Douglas, Tuesday, April 20, 2010, in New York. Cameron was sentenced to 5 year in prison after pleading guilty to drug charges. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)

Michael Douglas Snapshots

Actor Michael Douglas and his former wife Diandra Luker leave New York Federal Court April 20, 2010 after their son, Cameron Douglas was sentenced to 5 years for possession of methamphetamines with the intent to distribute. AFP PHOTO/TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

Michael Douglas Snapshots

Cameron Douglas pleaded guilty in January to dealing large quantities of meth and cocaine while holed up in a trendy Manhattan hotel, where he was arrested on July 28 of last year. He told a judge that a New York contact first asked him if he could score the drugs in 2006. After that, "I began supplying on a regular basis."

Douglas was swept up at the Hotel Gansevoort as part of a Drug Enforcement Administration probe, in which investigators said he was paid tens of thousands of dollars for smuggling meth -- what he referred to in intercepted phone calls as "pastry" or "bath salts." Cash and drugs were routinely exchanged from coast to coast through shippers like FedEx, a criminal complaint said.

Defense lawyers argued Douglas came to New York to look for an apartment when he had a chance encounter outside the hotel with a fellow guest and drug dealer who invited him to dinner. Afterward, the dealer asked Douglas if he could send him a pound of meth. "Still impaired by his addiction, Cameron agreed and later flew to California to arrange the requested transaction," court papers said.

In his letter to the court, Michael Douglas painted his son's problems with substance abuse as the product, in part, of a privileged but difficult childhood and the long shadow cast by a family of screen icons. "I have some idea of the pressure of finding your own identity with a famous father," wrote Douglas.

Douglas lists several Douglas family members who have grappled with substance abuse, but those names have been blacked out. Michael's half-brother, Eric, died of a drug overdose in 2004.

The five-page letter joined others written to the court by Cameron's supporters, including grandfather Kirk Douglas and stepmother Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Zeta-Jones wrote that while his drug addiction had taken over his life in recent years, he remained a "caring, considerate, worthy human being." She did not argue that Cameron should not pay for his crime. "What is wrong, is wrong," she admits. "But may all these positive attributes prevail, so that a facility that he is positioned in, will help rehabilitate him."

In his letter, Kirk Douglas asked the judge to spare his grandson from a lengthy sentence, saying he hopes to see him turn his life around "before I die." The elder Douglas, 93, visited Cameron in jail recently, where he "didn't express any self-pity, nor did he ask for any. The only sorrow he expressed was for the trouble he had caused others. ... I was shocked when he got in such a mess."

He concluded: "I'm convinced Cameron could be a fine actor. ... I hope I can see that happen before I die. I love Cameron."

The young Douglas has acted in a handful of movies including 2003's 'It Runs in the Family,' starring his father and grandfather, but his Hollywood career has sputtered since then. According to his IMDB page, Douglas' next project was supposed to be 'The Beautiful Outsiders,' a film in pre-production also starring Corey Feldman and Shannen Doherty.

Tags: Cameron Douglas, Michael Douglas

Comments

(292)

Tuesday 20 April

By Charles Ross

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

THERE HAS TO BE A PENALTY FOR BREAKING THE LAW, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT CAMERON DID. LENIENCY IS UP TO THE JUDGE. i FEEL SORRY FOR CATHERINE ZETA JONES , SHE SHOULD DUMP THE WHOLE DOUGLAS CLAN, SHE CAN DO BETTER.

By Hoffman

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Cameron should get the Max, like anyone would get. Just because he has famous parents and grand Dad, No, You do the crime you do the time. Simple as that. Damn you rich people.

By anita

this is not the first time the kid has been caught doing this , let him do his time and take advantage of what programs the prison system has to offer .......just like any other prisoner has to theseprograms are far and few between admittedly but they are there if he is that determined to stay sober.....let him prove it its time to stop this mamby pamby cater to the POOR RICH KID crap cause its just that crap

By Steve

Let me see if I have this right......Cameron gets picked up in a luxury hotel with FIVE POUNDS of Meth. The local police department says they pull in an average of about FOURTEEN POUNDS PER YEAR. So, Cameron is without the BIGGEST DEALER OF THE DRUG in the City....and we should take mercy on him? I don't think so! Here is a spoiled rotten ADULT child of a famous family. He's been given prior chances and I'm also going to suspect there were incidences involving Cameron that we never even heard about. I'd say it's time for him to pay the PIPER....THROW THE BOOK AT HIM.......MAXIMUM TIME!!!

By Isabel

Throw the book at him. If you're a druggie, what you do to yourself (and to your family by proxy) is damage to yourself. When you DEAL, you damage others just to line your own pockets and supply yourself. Throw the book at the dealer.

By petey

do the crime,do the time,you spoiled little prick!

By Bill

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LET THE BROTHER GO! LET THE BROTHER GO! LET THE BROTHER GO!

By Roxy

Snap out of it Douglas family! As soon as this kid is out of jail he'll be back on the sreets trying to score. As in most cases, he only regrets being caught. Just because you are born into an acting empire, doesn't mean you can't be a natural born loser. Look at how many successful people end up with children who are druggies, and who turn around and blame their parents because they have no back bones.

By MR TAYLOR

Black, yellow or white he should get the same sentence as anyone else. The crime he did was horrible. You do the crime you do the time.. Feal bad for everyone but what about the people he sold the drug to. How many of them lived or died? God bless them all and Cameron I am sorry but you knew what the price was if you got caught. Find God and get clean make some good time out of this time you will be doing..

By Jan

SUCK IT UP...TAKE IT LIKE A MAN...HE MADE THE CHOICE...IF IT WOULD BE MY SON HE WOULD PAY THE PRICE....LIFE WILL GO ON FOR THE DOUGLAS'

By DC

Why do "Special", they think they are "Special" people think they are above the law. The kid is a junkie and drug dealer, so put him in jail and let him hang around with the same trash he has been dealing with. What's the problem? Money and having high profile parents!

By Bonbon

Michael should have been paying attention to cameron when he was out cheating on his first wife and running around with Zeta-Jones.

By bill

bust a deal, face justice's wheel.

By b

"Excuses" are what led to his behaviors so stop already. Put the blame where it belongs, i.e., growing up to believe you can do no wrong...

By stuart

The criminalization of drugs is not effective in deterring drug use. If we legalized drugs, produced them in pharmaceutical plants, taxed them and brought them into the mainstream we would have alot less crime.

By Heather

I don't care what his childhood was like. He grew up privileged with a father that paid no attention to him...so what. Everyone has excuses...He should get the 10 years and be made an example of.

By Rich

MY grand-daddy was a drug dealer. My daddy was a drug dealer. I'm a drug dealer. My Momma and grandmama wuz on welfare. But it's all OK cause it must be in my genes and thats what makes me do these things. My friends are all drug dealers and gang-bangers and I wuz influenced by them. So, when I go to court, the court has to take that into account when I'm sentenced. None of it was really my fault! Besides all that my folks is real well-known people and the whole world just loves them to death. So that ought to buy me some mileage when I go to court. Even though I been arrested before, I'll do better the next time. I promise. GIMME A BREAK!!

By Lucy2

Cameron is blessed to have the love and support of his family and the chance to go to rehab. I hope the judge does take this into consideration.

By W. Bryce

As much as I grieve for Cameron's family, I grieve more for the families of those people who used the drugs he sold. Are they alive or dead? Hopefully rehabilitation will be a part of his sentence and that when he is finally released he will be able to live the life of a responsible human being.

Friday 30 April

By pam

he should be punished.

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