Actor Matthew McConaughey Arrested

By Mike Crissey



Associated Press Writer



Monday, Oct. 25, 1999; 7:30 p.m. EDT

McConaughey, 29, was arrested at around 3 a.m. and booked into the Travis County Jail on suspicion of possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting transportation, according to a police statement.

He was charged only with resisting transportation, a Class A misdemeanor.

Travis County Attorney Ken Oden said the drug-related charges were dismissed because they were not supported by the facts of the case.

McConaughey was released Monday afternoon on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond.

McConaughey, a 1993 graduate of the University of Texas, would not comment on the charges.

"I don't want to rent a place there, but it was a nice stay for a night," McConaughey said of his time in jail.

Joe Turner, McConaughey's lawyer, said the police illegally searched the actor's home and used excessive force.

Police said they were called to McConaughey's home in an upscale neighborhood in west Austin after receiving a complaint of loud music. Police saw him through a window naked and playing drums and another man dancing and clapping.

The other suspect was handcuffed, but not detained.

A Class A misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of a year in county jail and a $4,000 fine.

McConaughey has starred in several movies, including, "A Time to Kill," "Amistad," and "Dazed and Confused."