Orange County sheriff’s deputies pulled over 24-year-old Al Gore III at about 2:15 a.m. on 4 July 2007 as he was driving a blue Toyota Prius at about 100 mph on the San Diego Freeway.[1] Deputies stated they smelled marijuana and searched the vehicle.[1] Officers found less than an ounce of marijuana in the car alongside prescription medications including Xanax, Valium, Vicodin, and Adderall.[1] Authorities said Gore did not have a prescription for any of the medications found in the vehicle.[1]
Gore was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana and prescription drugs after being stopped for speeding.[1] He was booked into the men’s central jail in Santa Ana and released that afternoon after posting $20,000 bail.[1] Gore, the son of the former vice president, had previously been arrested for marijuana possession in Maryland in December 2003 while attending university, later completing substance abuse counseling under a diversion program.[1]
On 30 July 2007, Gore pleaded guilty to two felony counts of drug possession, two misdemeanor counts of prescription drug possession, and one misdemeanor count of marijuana possession.[2] He was also charged with a traffic infraction for speeding.[2] A judge allowed Gore to enter a drug diversion program, ordering sentencing continued until February 2008 with the condition that charges could be dismissed and his plea withdrawn if he completed the program.[2] Senior Deputy District Attorney Jaime Coulter stated that if Gore complied with all conditions, sentencing would be continued for another year and the charges could be dropped in 2009.[2]
