Bam Margera will remain in custody following DUI arrest and probation violation, judge says

Former Jackass star Bam Margera appeared in a Chester County courtroom for violating his probation agreement on Monday.

Margera, 44, was placed in custody at the Chester County Prison Wednesday, following the former reality star’s arrest by Pennsylvania State Police in Fulton County for driving under the influence of alcohol, summary reckless driving, and related charges.

Prosecutors said Margera’s arrest violated the drug and alcohol conditions of his probation, which began after Margera pleaded guilty to two counts of disorderly conduct in June. The plea capped off more than a year of legal troubles that started when Margera was accused of assaulting his brother and making terroristic threats toward other relatives at the Pocopson home known as “Castle Bam.”

Margera was led into Common Pleas Judge Patrick Carmody’s courtroom in handcuffs wearing a white T-shirt. His wife, Danielle Marie, mouthed words of support to Margera as he sat silently next to his legal team.

Margera’s attorneys, Michael T. van der Veen and William J. Brennan, requested that Margera be released from prison and placed into a rehabilitation facility. They described Margera’s arrest as “one episodic relapse” that followed a period of otherwise successful sobriety.

“Nobody is here with ill intent — everyone wants Bam to get help,” Brennan told reporters after the hearing. “He’s done really phenomenally well, he had a little set back … This is somebody who’s a good guy who has an addiction.”

Carmody, however, said he would like to see the results of an impending medical evaluation before deciding when Margera should be released and placed in a rehab facility chosen by the court. And his release could come after a period of jail time Carmody said could last between 28 days and six months.

Carmody said a Breathalyzer test showed Margera’s blood alcohol content was 0.140 — nearly double the legal limit in Pennsylvania.

“I’m just concerned about the safety of the public and Mr. Margera,” Carmody told the court. “My attitude toward addiction is different when you get behind the wheel.”

Margera’s evaluation is expected to take place Tuesday, according to his probation officer. The result will include a sentencing recommendation.

Speaking in court, Margera told Carmody that his arrest last Monday occurred during the first road trip he’d taken during probation without Marie, whom he called “my sober rock.”

“On my third day, I screwed up,” Margera said.

Following the hearing, van der Veen and Brennan said they agreed with Carmody’s assessment, and that any sentence for Margera would likely last seven to 30 days.

“You’ve got to take the positive out of any negative, and for Bam, he’s taken a lot of good steps forward,” van der Veen said. “There’s been one step back, and we’re going to just make sure he keeps going forward.”