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Published Monday, Oct. 11, 2010 | 9:30 a.m.
Updated Monday, Oct. 11, 2010 | 10:26 p.m.
George Joseph Maloof
George Maloof, owner of the Palms hotel-casino in Las Vegas, was arrested Saturday night by a Metro Police traffic officer on a charge of drunken driving, authorities said Monday morning.
Maloof, 46, was stopped at 11:36 p.m. near Spanish Trail Country Club in the southwest valley, where he lives, and was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.
Maloof said he was released from jail Sunday morning.
In addition to the DUI charge, police said Maloof also was booked in connection with speeding 21 to 30 miles over the posted speed limit, making an illegal left turn, driving without a valid license and not having proof of insurance.
Maloof released a statement Monday and said he takes responsibility for the incident.
"I was out at a wedding on Saturday night. I didn’t feel I was intoxicated so I drove home where I was cited outside the entrance to my development. My blood alcohol level was 0.087 which in Nevada is slightly over the legal limit," Maloof said in the statement. "I take full responsibility for my actions and I can assure you it won’t happen again."
Maloof said he had four beers and was driving home with his assistant from a friend's wedding about six miles away.
A person who has a blood alcohol level of 0.08 is considered drunk in Nevada.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
no company limos around? Jeez George --- not very bright.
Overindulgence in alcohol has no friends regardless of your position in life.
there goes all the free comps at the palms....
And the downfall begins...
The Palms will be owned by Harrah's or someone else very soon now...
Wow. There have been some weird arrests lately. Metro busted those two HPD cops and now Maloof? I thought they let other cops and big casino bosses walk all the time?
Steve Wynn just fired Maloof even though he doesn't work for him...
i love the palms...
any self respecting democrat should give their business to the palms...
and never ever ever set foot in the wynn or the encore or the venetian or the palazzo...
i just hope like hell that this isn't a sign of deeper troubles...
we are pulling for you george...
Man it is so dangerous driving while sodded!!!! No excuse for any one to get behind the wheel after drinking,plus it takes a lot of alcohol to reach a .08 one one hundreth percent of alcohol absorbed into ones system...
If Vegas treats its VIP's like we do here in Los Angeles, he has no worries, he'll get "Hollywood Justice" (unlike all the rest of us)
Comment removed by moderator. name-calling.
Why the wealthy continuously opt to drink and drive instead of having a limo at their disposal continues to bewilder me.
I used to drink 'n drive all the time when I was younger but now I take a cab when I'm drunk! Luckily I never killed anyone, thank God! George, you have the dough, take a cab or limo dude!
About a month ago the Palms took a bad beat (about 3 mil) over a weekend from a whale. George admitted it put him in a foul mood. I guess it made him drink to excess. Can't say enough about getting drunk drivers off Las Vegas roads. More checkpoints please.
Wow....It never ceases to amaze me the stupid decisions smart people make when they have been drinking. Thats the problem with alcohol. It not only impairs your driving it impairs your judgement. This guy obviously coulda had a limo from the palms take him home, but he used very poor judgement.
Chunky says:
Ouch! Breaking too many laws at one time and one of them being a DUI. Hopefully he didn't have his family in the car with him.
Aside from the bad PR right now, he'll just hire a big time attorney and buy / bargain his way out of it.
That's what Chunky thinks!
Where was the Cigar guy ??
I'll wait till the facts are in..
Bajos, like the comment about Wynn, he is just that arrogant, I wish he would go to China and stay there. Apparently he doesn't like some of us posters at the SUN..
Tourists are encouraged to make sure to pay attention to the sides of the roads on I-15 and along city streets here in Las Vegas.
Because very soon, there's a very strong likelihood you may spot George Maloof, Vince Neil and Paris Hilton picking up trash as part of their community service they will be required to perform after they are sentenced.
HEY! C'mon! I'm trying to turn this into a positive thing and get tourists to come to Las Vegas to turn this economy around. Work with me here, people....
At least the dude parties and hasn't turned into a vegetarian dud like Wynn.
Was Paris Hilton in the car too?
Hey N9NE is the best steakhouse in town still.
DUI is serious enough, but can be perhaps explained away as merely using bad judgement when impaired.
Driving without a valid licence and without proof of insurance is even more troubling, in my opinion. It shows intent to flaunt the law. It would be interesting to know if he has been driving regularly without the valid licence or insurance. Did he drive to the bar earlier when he was sober?
The multiple traffic violations mentioned are more commonly cited in articles when a deadbeat or an illegal gets caught. That it was a rich hotel owner in this case is shocking.
10-1 he walks with a reduced charge.
I agree about no license and insurance.
Mistake #1 was deciding to drive
Mistake #2 was speeding
Mistake #3 no license
Mistake #4 no insurance
This is more than A "mistake".....maybe make it "mistakes"
Mistake #5 illegal left turn...
bad odds just like his vp.
The guys who blow 0.04--0.08 are the real dangerous ones.The drunk drunks drive 30 miles and hour and you can see them all over the road,the drunk drunks give you a little time to avoid a collision where as the guys who blow 0.08 have just enough alcohol to think they can wheel a car at 85-90mph and be safe..
Come on George,no license or insurance?? His buddy Obama will get this fixed.
Chunky says:
It's sort of like being "a little pregnant". If he was .087 by the time he was almost home and after the traffic stop what was he when he left the party?
That's what Chunky thinks!
Please Drink Responsibly.
Sounds to me like somebody at the party had a hot car, and he was taking it for a spin.
Comment removed by moderator. Name-calling.
I was recently hit on I-15 by a totally sober driver who was obviously an idiot and not paying attention. This driver could have killed me! And once again, was totally sober! WTF does it matter if Maloof had a .087?! are you kidding me?! There are a lot more idiot drivers out there than drunks that cause collisions (they're not accidents). And many times the collisions that are alcohol involved, would have still happened had that person not been drinking at all. Get all the idiots off the road first, then we can start complaining about the drunks. Sober drivers kill innocent people EVERY DAY!
when you make statements like these that have no factual basis, "The multiple traffic violations mentioned are more commonly cited in articles when a deadbeat or an illegal gets caught" you should probably refrain from typing
Comment removed by moderator. Off-topic.
So let me get this straight:
- He's driving with no license.
- No insurance.
- Drunk.
AND HE'S THE OWNER OF PALMS?!!
How much does he make if he cant afford a drivers licenses, insurance and a limo service?
He made a huge mistake and with all of his powerful connections will pay a fine and get off lightly
He'll get off on a moving violation, guaranteed.
@RanchoJuan:
Believe it or not, Mr. Maloof is doing most of his work on a pro bono basis, and all the gained money of his company goes straight into the company's business as a reinvestment. As I hope to be not off base supposing that he himself therefore sometimes is lacking the money to pay such things like a taxi driver a car insurance, license plate etc. and that's why the Maloof is a tramp... without wanting to bash him. Anyway I will return to the Palms on my next trip to Vegas, and to the Pawn shop tambien.
@Chuck Norris
That's interesting. It just throws me off when he's the owner of the Palms. LOL. You'd think that he would look like a million bucks and act like a million bucks, but he doesnt. LOL
VC thinks Chunky needs to stop talking in the third person. lol
@Bajos, BobbyG:
Goog ones... lol :)
@Birdiedreaming:
C'mon, Birdie, we all love the Palms, no worries. This is just the point of time for the "Average Joe" like you or me, to have some fun, to do some bashing, some joking without any serious impact for you or me in face of Mr. Maloof's DUI having luckily happened without any serious impact on other people's lifes. Tomorrow's just another day... and the story will be (t)old.
drabek. Cigarette in one hand, cell phone in the other, how could they take the idiot test much less pass it.
Good Guy
Great Hotel
Bad Decision
I am sure he is glad no one was injured.
Bet he won't do this again.
chucky, what about my family that I had in my car!!
frombellville-why is it shocking because he is wealthy! They break more laws than anyone and think they are above the law!!!
@irishfighter..
amen to that.. lol
@chrisgold:
Good one... lol :)
I don't think so, but the heiress might have been on the phone talking to him while he was driving... lol.
I like it when human beings like George own right up to the deed and accept their goofs for what they are. Who among us qualifies as the evaluator of .0o7% blood alcohol?
Weddings can bring tears of joy and cheers for a million damn good reasons. Who's pointing the finger and shaming love and unions, families and crossings?
Heinous criminals walk, and some folks are getting goosey because a guy who likely doesn't need to operate his own vehicle as others duly noted earlier (limo?),and so was on relatively uncertain turf doing what ya do when you're trying to get home quick.
Looks like a guy with integrity had a drink at a wedding and owned up to every lick of his evil ways. This has got to boost revenue; may have even been a stunt with payouts unseen or heard. LOL
Chuck-Norris -
Do you have any idea how much of an apologist you sound like? George Maloof is NEVER strapped for cash, if he can dine out on a regular basis, plays high stakes at GVR and other local casinos, he definitely has the money to pay for the required registration.
This is arrogance, somebody who doesn't want to stand in line at the DMV. He has never been shy about using the Palms cars for personal errands, rides for his girlfriends or to stripclubs...in fact they usually have somebody on stand-buy when he goes out.
Sorry, but you're either ignorant or one of George's many lackeys. If it was you or I in this situation, nobody would be making excuses by saying we don't have money for a cab or time for the DMV, so why should the millionaire owner of a casino and full-time Las Vegas resident be any different?
retirerjc -
Good points on the blood work. George has the sniffles pretty often if you get my drift.
Comment removed by moderator. name-calling
In the old days, if one of the boys fell into this position, they'd just be escorted back to their suite, resort or home.
Imagine Wilbur Clark or Moe Dalitz getting a DUI?
Methinks George hangs out with too many of his customers, but he is at that age.
The new Vegas.
@IrishFighter
why is it shocking because he is wealthy! They break more laws than anyone and think they are above the law!!!
====
Well, Fighter, the sad truth is that the experience someone receives from the American justice system is directly proportional to their wealth connections.
=====
@airweave
Who among us qualifies as the evaluator of .0o7% blood alcohol?
=====
The failure to secure proper driving credentials coupled with the moving violations is actually quite telling.
The failure to get a license and no insurance indicates an ongoing disregard for the law/authority. It would be interesting to know when how long it has been since he had a valid drivers license.
The alleged moving violations reveal little more than he drives like most ppl who live in Las Vegas.
No one should be surprised at any announcement that he will voluntarily enter rehab at some uber-posh location. (It's all the rage now, you know.)
A BAT of .087 barely breaks the legal limit. However, taken in concert with the traffic violations it tends to indicate a certain level of impairment, if not outright arrested development.
Nonetheless, barring prior offenses, anyone in similar circumstances shouldn't loose too much sleep. A fine, traffic and alcohol/drug classes and some forced labor (aka community service), along with a year of unsupervised probation and it will be back to life as usual.
That being the case, it would be a novel noble move if George, went with a lawyer other than Oscar Goodman's partner David Chesnoff and donated the tremendous savings to charity. After all, it is that season.
Of course, no one should be surprised when, George having admirably accepted public responsibility, the breath machine is found to have been calibrated incorrectly or some such technicality providing grounds for DA Rogers to drop the DUI charge.
Obviously, this provides glaring evidence that George neglected to nurture his karma. Shouldn't be so forgetful, George.
The good news is that this is a teachable moment:
Karma-it's a full-time gig.
Now,,Now,, lets get real about this.... He has more cash than the law allows and he was only .007 over the limit... This is gonna be some chump charge when it is all said and done.....Like I said lets be real,, as you know how it works for the other people....
There is no reason or excuse to drive drunk! Period! As for Maloof, my wife & I were a charter members of the Amigo Club when he opened the Fiesta on Rancho. We always believed we got a fair shake on the Video poker machines while he owned it. We were upset when he sold it to Station Casinos because it created a monoply around here. We did patronize the Palms on some occasions, but no more since he backs Harry the Red. Maloof can back anybody he wants and we can choose to patronize or boycott any business we want.
Around here, A nationally known sports figure was recently arrested for being 0.010 on the test. Charges were dropped because it was "barely over" and hard to prosecute.
The question on this one, did he not have a valid license and insurance, or simply not have it with him. Those of us on the lower end of the wealth spectrum (make that WAY lower) have to do without certain things we may want because we pay our insurance premiums on time (and renew our license when it's due).
Now he can obviously pay the damages even higher than most insurance policy limits if he is in an accident, but I believe one has to have some kind of bond in place if they "self insure", don't they?
Hopefully he will have to pay the maximum for all offenses here, he can afford it easier than the typical citizen getting a ticket for driving 10 over on the way to work (who ends up paying the maximum).
Let him pay, and learn from this mistake, and go on with his life, no special treatment, that's all we ask.
@Mizzou:
Don't drink and drive! That's all I was about to say.
But you surely can continue to have your fun by name-calling me... :)
Im certain all the cheese ball attorneys in this town are already calling Mr Maloof.
I have seen him do this too many times. He was invited to get in the Limo with his friends but made the choice to drive his own car. It's not unusual for him. I hope he can stop before he gets in an accident or worse.
You know, George is telling the truth. 4 beers. That is all it takes. Kind of scary. .08 really is nothing. And if your female - wow - 2 beers and you hit it. It has gotten to the point that if you have 1 beer - you should not drive. I won't. It is just too dangerous and risky.
O.K. when I see Mr. Maloof I see a man I don't see a casino owner, A wealthy business man, Just a man that made a bad decision to drive while under the influence. should he be charged yes just like anyone else so please treat him that way as well don't inflate the punishment or press for greater punishment simply because he can afford it or he is well known lets look at what he was charged with.
In addition to the DUI charge, police said Maloof also was booked in connection with speeding 21 to 30 miles over the posted speed limit, making an illegal left turn, These two will probably be dropped, driving without a valid license What does this mean? it has to mean that the license was expired and if giving the opportunity he will get them in compliance and not having proof of insurance. If he can give proof that he has the ability to pay any damages resulting from his actions deemed his fault why? would he pay for insurance.
The man has accepted responsibility and will be giving a fine for the DUI. A fine that would not be any different had it been me or you. And I would not ask for anything other than that but that's me.
" Metro busted those two HPD"
I called HPD and the DA - these screwball cops will be patrolling the mean
streets of honolulu soon. total bs.
they tried to run and were pepper sprayed-
some one should look into this.
Comment removed by moderator. off topic.
To me the only issue here is the DUI. Anyone driving under the influence endangers me...well, it endangers all of us. Wealth shouldn't matter, influence shouldn't matter. I believe there are many laws that maybe need revision -- Driving under the influence isn't one of them.
About 17,000 die every year in alcohol related accidents.
Drinking and driving caused almost 40% of reported vehicle fatalities in Nevada in 2008, the latest statistic I could find.
Anyone who thinks the Maloof issue is funny, ironic or anything but serious, I think is just plain wrong. I also think the newspapers ought to print the names of all those arrested on DUI charges on a regular basis.
How is it possible that anyone can take a simple DUI and turn it into a political statement. Shame on you.
I have met George on numerous occasions and he is a nice guy. He is very humble and down to earth person. If you didn't know who he was, you would never know that he owns a major hotel in Vegas.
As far as the charges, he owned up to them immediately. Amazing how things have changed in Vegas that the police no longer give the rich and famous a break. Or maybe it because the police officer was looking for his 10 minutes of fame? There was a time that a powerful person would have been given a warning and sent on his way, not any more.
I think that the bigger issue is the unrealistic speed limits in Vegas. The streets are very wide and to have a 35 mile speed limit is just a way to give tickets at will and raise revenue for the city. Is there anyone that really drives that slow because of the post limit, except in school zones?
As far as the DUI. Don't drink and drive - the life you save might be mine.
Shame on you George. Remember the (Family Name).
It's not like you killed anyone. Yet!
George did not get a cab as he would have been longhauled
Thats what gregdonny thinks !
Were the rooms at The Palms all booked? Now, George, come on!!! You know better. . . .
Thanks for letting me know he's a liberal, palms has seen the last of my $..where are the people who support and love America and freedom..I'll stay there :)
@allarountown,
Well, he's going to lose his license for 90 days, so maybe that will teach him. For all of you who don't know, they don't even have to convict you of DUI. Your test comes back over .08 and the DMV takes your license for 90 days. It often happens before you've even had your day in court.
I don't know this from personal experience, thank God, but I've heard the horror stories.
From what I understand, this is NOT the first time.
I was told that he totaled his car within the property of Spanish Trails. But nothing was done because it was private property. Just like I was told that the Spanish Trails Country Club has no Health Inspector. Who really knows...
Mr. Maloof, shame on you for driving under the influence. I will however completely respect you for being a man and taking responsibility for your actions. Something missing from 98% of the population.
Donate one $1 to the schools in Las Vegas so your neighbors will be better educated and less likely to exhibit these behaviors: www.donorschoose.org/mrcombs
Is this why the family gave up the beer distributorship in Alburquerque...or is it still owned ?
You come a long way George to get what you have now, most everyone looks up to you - just dont drink and drive anymore.
Wish I had a bunch of great businesses and NBA franchise to cater to along with the clientele and the nookie that comes around, drinking would not be on my agenda thats for sure.
5 years SR22 (if you obtain a valid license), plus court appointed classes and AA meetings you have no time for - this is the worst part of the punishment for someone that can afford to pay fines and such.
Drinking alcohol is retarded enough.
Drinking alcohol while driving the slightest impaired - is just plain ignorant.
In response to bajo,s on oct.11th. concerning poor george.Your comment was one of the funniest one liner,s.I love steve wynn,and his wonderful creations .if he reads it,I know he will have a big smile.And I know for sure george&paris will have A party over it.Why not?you only live once KIDS.have fun,but DON,T drink and get high...and get behind the wheel[forget the law]I mean for your safty and others.GOD bless you,and keep you safe.henry sousa-yinyangsunrise@artlover.com
George, please get a haircut! I would gladly donate $6 if you can't afford it. Not to be mean but it looks that money can't buy everything...you could be a douche even with few hundred mills in the bank.
Snip snip here; whack a whack there. Snip whack, snip, whack. Get off his BACK.
He did it; it happens MILLIONS of times a year in this town.
He said he did it. He admitted everything.
Now what's up with the:" Get a haircut. Pay full boat! Get your insurance. Don't do that -Cant choo READ the sign?"???
Life by committee doesn't seem to be from the mold of this fellow. Leave him be - hairy, unkempt and human. Here baby, there mama, everywhere now....