Ex-Enron CEO Arrested For Drunkenness

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling was ticketed for public intoxication earlier this month in Dallas, according to a newspaper report.

Skilling, convicted in May of 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading and lying to auditors in the investigation following the company's 2001 collapse, was arrested about 1:45 a.m. Sept. 9, according to a report in Wednesday's online edition of the Houston Chronicle.

The police report said Skilling was not drinking at the time of his arrest, and he did not resist officers, the newspaper said. He was in the swanky Uptown neighborhood north of downtown Dallas; Skilling was staying at a nearby town house he owns.

Public intoxication is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500. He received a $385 ticket and was briefly detained in a city jail.

Skilling faces 20 to 30 years in prison in the Enron case and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 23.

"Jeff is doing the very best he can to deal with a nearly impossible situation," his attorney Daniel Petrocelli said.

Skilling, 52, reported his arrest to pretrial services the day after it occurred, Petrocelli said.

Skilling apparently will not go to jail early for violating terms of his $5 million bond. Petrocelli said the incident was investigated and the court required him to increase the frequency of his visits with mental health and alcohol treatment counselors.

In April 2004, Skilling was involved in a scuffle with patrons of a cigar bar in New York City. He wasn't arrested, but he and his wife, Rebecca, who was hurt in the incident, were taken to a hospital where a blood test showed Skilling's blood-alcohol level to be .019. Witnesses said Skilling accused some of the cigar bar patrons of being FBI agents.