Steve Wilkos asked a Connecticut judge for a break in his DUI case on Monday.
During a brief appearance, the 53-year-old Jerry Springer regular applied for a court diversionary program to have the charges stemming from his January arrest in Darien, Connecticut dropped. He told Judge Richard Comerford that he has not taken an alcohol education class in the last decade, reports the Stamford Advocate.
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His attorney, Eugene Riccio, spoke on Wilkos’ behalf for the rest of the hearing.
Wilkos will be back in court on April 16 when he will hear the judge’s decision. If the application is approved, he will be evaluated by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. He will be ordered to take a 10-week educational program, a 15-week program or a treatment program. He could also be ordered to attend a panel with drunk driving victims. Once he completes the requirements, the charges will be dismissed.
Wilkos was involved in a car crash in Darien on Jan. 21. His car flipped over, hitting several telephone poles and a tree before stopping. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment. According to a later TMZ report, police said Wilkos smelled of alcohol when officers tried to help him form his vehicle. Police said his blood alcohol content was .29, over three times the legal limit.
According to the arrest affidavit, Wilkos was “unable to answer any other questions.”
“I feel lucky to be alive after seeing my car. I am so thankful to the first responders from Post 53 and our local police department in Darien, CT, as well as all the wonderful people who took care of me at Stamford hospital,” Wilkos said in a statement days after the crash.
Wilkos first lied to TMZ about the circumstances of the crash. On Jan. 23, he said he was reaching for his glasses, which he usually wears while driving.
On Feb. 21, he admitted he was lying to TMZ.
“Over the course of my life, I have been struggling with bouts of depression and on the day of my accident, I had a complete lapse in judgment which resulted in me drinking and getting behind the wheel of my car,” Wilkos said. “This experience reinforces my commitment to get the professional help that I need and I have recently completed an intensive medically supervised program.”
Wilkos became a star after appearing as a bodyguard on The Jerry Springer Show. In 2007, he got his own show, The Steve Wilkos Show.
Photo credit: Darien Police Department
