'Johnny Goes Home to the Slammer’

Press, 8 March 1982, Page 17

'Johnny Goes Home to the Slammer’

NZPA Burbank, California A nervous but game Johnny Carson joked about his drinking-driving case in his first “Tonight Show” monologue since his arrest, but later told his late-night television viewers: “You will never see me do that again. “I wish I could explain to all of you that I was doing research for my new special called ‘Johnny Goes Home to the Slammer’,’’ the 56-year-old comedian joked, in a referen&e to his recent television special about returning to his hometown in Nebraska. Carson was accompanied onstage for the taping of his show by an actor dressed in a police officer’s uniform. The same actor later ushered the host off at the end of the show. Carson, who earlier in the day was charged with two misdemeanour counts and one infraction stemming from his arrest a week ago, devoted the first few minutes of his stand-up routine to the incident. “What luck I have — my lawyer is F. Lee Bailey,” Carson said, referring to the prominent criminal attorney who also faces drunken driv-

ing charges. Bailey pleaded innocent to the charges. A complaint filed by Los Angeles deputy District Attorney Philip Wynn accused Carson of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.16 per cent, and driving without a licence in his possession. An arraignment ,was set for March 23 in Beverly Hills Municipal Court, where Carson’s lawyer can appear for him.