Mac News: Handheld Devices: Shriver Exposed as Cellphone Scofflaw, Schwarzenegger Promises Action

Shriver Exposed as Cellphone Scofflaw, Schwarzenegger Promises Action

AP
10/14/09 9:58 AM PT

Maria Shriver has been caught driving while holding a cellphone not once, but three times, according to celebrity Web site TMZ.com. Had she been nailed by law enforcement officials, she might have faced $300 in fines -- not much of a deterrent for California's famous First Lady. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's ire over the embarrassment may prove more effective.

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This image from video provided by TMZ shows Maria Shriver, the wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, holding a cellphone to her ear while driving.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is calling out his wife, Maria Shriver, for apparently violating a state law he signed -- holding her cellphone while driving.

The celebrity Web site TMZ.com posted two photographs Tuesday showing Shriver holding a phone to her ear while she's behind the wheel. It says one was snapped Sunday and the other in July.

The Web site later added a video it said was shot Tuesday in Brentwood, where the family lives. It shows Shriver holding a cellphone to her ear while driving a large SUV that appears to be a Cadillac Escalade. She then puts the phone down while the camera is rolling.

The first lady's office said it would have no comment.

'Swift Action'

On his Twitter feed, Schwarzenegger wrote to TMZ.com founder Harvey Levin: "Thanks for bringing her violations to my attention. There's going to be swift action."

Schwarzenegger spokesperson Aaron McLear says that by "swift action," the governor means he'll ask his wife not to hold the phone while driving.

In a note accompanying the video, TMZ responded to Schwarzenegger's tweet by saying, "... your scofflaw wife was at it again."

$300 in Fines

A law that took effect in July 2008 requires California drivers to use a hands-free device when talking on cellphones.

Since then, the California Highway Patrol has issued more than 150,000 citations. That figure does not include citations issued by local police.

Drivers who are spotted by law enforcement officers holding a cellphone to their ear are subject to fines of at least US$20 for the first ticket and $50 for subsequent tickets, plus additional fees.

In Los Angeles County, where Brentwood is located, the Superior Court has set the cost at about $93 for the first ticket and $201 for the next one, meaning Shriver would owe at least $300 in fines and court fees had she been caught by police.

Schwarzenegger has previously praised the regulation and said he warned his then-16-year-old daughter that if she ever violated the law, "she'll be taking the bus."

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