EXCLUSIVE

Shaun Weiss -- who played Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" -- got arrested in Northern California, and based on his mug shot ... the former child star is in dire straits.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the 38-year-old was busted for public intoxication Saturday around 1 AM in Oroville, CA, about an hour north of Sacramento. We're told cops cut him a break after he spent a few hours in the drunk tank -- he was released and not cited.

TMZ broke the story ... Shaun was also arrested a year ago for possession of meth. That arrest came just 5 days after he'd been sentenced to 150 days in jail for stealing $151 worth of stuff from an electronics store.

He ended up serving only 12 days due to overcrowding. At the time, his manager, Don Gibble, told TMZ he had hoped jail would help Weiss get himself on a more productive path.