Actor Michael Madsen pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a pair of misdemeanor DUI charges stemming from his March arrest in Malibu.
The 61-year-old actor — whose film credits include “Kill Bill,” “Hateful Eight” and “Reservoir Dogs” — was arrested March 24 by sheriff’s deputies after his vehicle struck a pole.
Madsen could face up to 364 days in jail if convicted of one count each of driving under the influence of alcohol within 10 years of another DUI offense and driving with a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content within 10 years of another DUI offense.
At a May 20 hearing, a judge ordered Madsen to attend at least two weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings while the case is pending, not to drive with any measurable alcohol in his system, and not to refuse to take any drug and alcohol or field sobriety tests.
The actor was also arrested on suspicion of DUI in Malibu in 2012, according to TMZ.com.
In the latest case, Madsen’s attorney told The Blast.com in March that his client’s accident was related to side effects to medication that he was taking under a doctor’s care.
“It works better when taken at night before bed and he took it earlier,” the lawyer said then. “Modifying the timing of drugs to achieve the greatest benefit with the lowest risk of unpleasant side effects is called drug chronotherapy.”