1989.10.18 - Arizona Republic - Izzy fined

Gunner gets his day in court

Izzy fined for crime

Guns N’ Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin says he’s sorry and will change his ways.

Stradlin was fined $2,000 and put on probation Tuesday for urinating on an airplane and lighting up in the non-smoking section. He also was order to pay USAir up to $1,000 to clean up his mess.

Stradlin, 27, was placed on probation for six months and ordered to see a psychiatrist in his home state of California. He has to pay for the counseling to determine whether he has an alcohol-abuse problem.

If Stradlin doesn’t complete his probation, he will be fined an additional $4,000, according to U.S. District Court Magistrate Michael Mignella, who sentenced Stradlin during a hearing in Phoenix.

Stradlin, whose real name is Jeffrey Dean Isbell, was subdued throughout his 30-minute court appearance.

Just before being sentenced, he pleaded guilty to four counts of illegally smoking in a non-smoking section, a misdemeanor.

Stradlin, who is the rhythm guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, originally was charged with a felony: interfering with the duties of an airline crew. That charge was dropped in exchange for the guilty plea to the misdemeanor.

When Mignella asked the rocker whether he had any comment, Stradlin said in a barely audible voice, “I apologize to the court.”

Told by Mignella that the judge needed assurances that his antics wouldn’t occur again, Stradlin replied, “No problem.”

Asked about being forced to see a psychiatrist, Stradlin said, “This is OK. This is fine. The doctor is very good.”

His attorney, Edward Novak, told Mignella that Stradlin “is remorseful,” and added that he’s convinced Stradlin “does not intend to act in this manner in the future.”

“He is an individual of few words, but someone who can keep his word and is ...anxious to find out whether he has a problem with alcohol,” Novak said.

Stradlin was arrested at Sky Harbor International Airport on Aug. 27 during a stopover by a USAir flight from Indianapolis to Los Angeles.

Guns N’ Roses, which has carved out a reputation as a hard-rocking, hard-partying band is scheduled to perform in Los Angeles tonight, opening for the Rolling Stones.

Always referred to as a turning point for Izzy, although his sobriety didn't last long and he was back on heroin not long after. He tidied up again not long after that, and presumably stayed sober for the rest of his life. Well done.

Soulmonster wrote:Always referred to as a turning point for Izzy, although his sobriety didn't last long and he was back on heroin not long after. He tidied up again not long after that, and presumably stayed sober for the rest of his life. Well done.

I think Duff has the series of events messed up in his autobiography. He places the flight incident/Izzy's arrest before the band went to Chicago in early summer of 1989, but it obviously happened after that (end of August). There was maybe something else that happened to Izzy before Chicago, which made him go to Indiana  (there's a reference in Slash's book without specifying what it was, also references by Izzy himself in later interviews) and then to Europe that summer (Izzy interview in Face mag, 1990) trying to quit heroin (but probably not other substances). Axl talked about an O.D. in New York, although Izzy has denied he had ever OD'd.

So it's likely that Izzy had cut off to an extent and then relapsed at the time around the flight incident. And then he cleaned up completely as he had to comply with the terms of his probation. Iirc he has said that the first show he played being totally sober (including alcohol) was the pay per view Rolling Stones concert in December 1989 where he and Axl guested.

Very interesting. This really wasn't Izzy's best period of life. In September, not long after being in court for pissing in the place, he would be attacked by Vince Neil at MTV VMAs and receive a split lip (allegedly for having assaulted Neil's wife back in 1988).