Drugs & Alcohol

Dale Earnhardt Jr. tells TMZ Sports ... he celebrated his big Daytona 500 victory by boozin' with his team 'til around 4AM -- so why isn't he a hungover mess this morning??? Simple. He followed the cardinal drinking rule.

You know how it goes ...

"Beer before liquor, never been sicker.
... Liquor before beer, you're in the clear."

Dale Jr. was out in NYC yesterday and told us he abides by the code -- usually startin' with some Jim Beam before switchin' to suds.

*Warning -- cardinal drinking rule does not always work. Booze with caution*

Amanda Bynes has just scored a victory of sorts in her DUI case, pleading no contest to a lesser offense ... TMZ has learned.

Amanda was arrested in April 2012 in West Hollywood and charged with DUI.

Amanda's lawyer Rich Hutton was in court this morning and accepted a plea of "wet reckless" -- a drinking-related offense that does not have the serious consequences of DUI.

Under the terms of the deal, Amanda will be placed on 3 years probation, must attend a 3-month alcohol ed course, and pay various fines.

It appears her license was suspended because she refused to submit to an alcohol test at the time of her arrest.

Her lawyer tells us she's doing well now.

Two Texas A&M football players were arrested over the weekend -- a blue chip recruit was detained -- after allegedly making a series of incredibly stupid decisions ... involving weed, booze and parking in a handicap space.

Here's what happened, according to cops.

Isaiah Golden (DL), Darian Claiborne (LB) and Devante Noil (WR) were all inside of a silver Infiniti parked in a handicap space at an apartment complex in College Station around midnight.

According to the police report, an officer approached the car ... and smelled weed. He detained all 3 players, along with another man, and proceeded to search the car.

The cop says he found weed along with a bottle of brandy ... which is a problem since all of the men are under 21.

But during the incident, the officer says Claiborne "became very loud ... complaining that this was going to ruin [his] college football career."

FYI -- Claiborne was recently arrested for allegedly hiding weed and pills in an oversized Hershey's kiss ornament.

The officer says he continued to yell and began "interfering with the investigation" -- so he was arrested for a "noise violation."

Golden was eventually arrested for the weed (cops say he was in possession of 1.9 grams).

As for Noil -- considered one of the top wide receiver recruits in the country -- he was let go.

We called A&M for comment -- and a rep essentially said the players who were arrested will be suspended ... telling us, "In accordance to Texas A&M athletics department policy, anytime a student-athlete is arrested he or she is immediately suspended from all athletic activities."

If steroid-abusing Alex Rodriguez wants to be in Cooperstown, he's gonna have to buy a ticket like everyone else ... 'cause Frank Thomas says the guy will NEVER be enshrined in the MLB Hall of Fame.

The Big Hurt -- who's getting ready to be inducted with the 2014 HOF class -- couldn't have been more clear about A-Rod's chances ... telling TMZ Sports there are only TWO guys from the PED era who deserve to be in the Hall.

As for Thomas, Frank says he's working on his own Hall of Fame speech ... and can't wait to be inducted by his 21-year-old son (who has the greatest nickname ever) ... The Little Hurt.

Check out the clip -- gotta love Frank's honesty.

It's like the prison version of "My Cousin Vinny" -- a random inmate in South Carolina has just prepared legal docs to get Gucci Mane out of jail ... and they're hilarious.

51-year-old Jerry Lewis Dedrick -- who's currently locked up in a Williamsburg federal prison -- has taken it upon himself to get Gucci off gun charges (without Gucci asking) filing a scribbled motion.

To his credit, Dedrick has been spending a lot of time reading -- not like he has other stuff to do -- and claims he's discovered the key to Gucci's case.

Several problems -- first, his argument makes no sense. Dedrick rambles on about how possessing a gun in itself isn't a federal crime.

Dedrick isn't Gucci's lawyer, so he can't file docs on the rapper's behalf. But Dedrick wants the court to forward his legal work to Gucci's lawyer ... hoping it will crack the case.

Justin Bieber will REJECT the plea deal prosecutors in his Miami Beach DUI case have offered ... and a big reason is because he doesn't want random drug testing.

TMZ broke the story ... prosecutors offered Bieber a deal they often give to first-time DUI offenders ... it includes community service, an alcohol ed course and random drug testing.

Sources connected to Bieber tell TMZ ... there are several reasons they aren't buying what prosecutors are selling. First, there are huge problems with the case -- they believe the cop lied when he said Bieber reeked of booze (he only blew a .014), and he was also lying about observing Bieber drag race -- the GPS device registered a very reasonable 27 MPH.

But the bigger issue is this -- our sources say Bieber will NOT accept any plea that has probation ... where the judge can throw the book at him if he screws up.

In particular there's NO WAY Bieber will agree to random drug testing. Fact is ... he has a problem with weed and sizzurp. If you don't understand his worry, just remember Lindsay Lohan, who became a habitual probation offender for more than 7 years.

Also, we're told Justin will not accept an alcohol ed course as part of a plea deal, because he'd become a spectacle.

We're told Bieber is open to a plea ... but not this one.

Stoners may frown on smoking a joint covered in ink ... but one Tyga fan says it's possible he may break that rule -- after the rapper jotted his John Hancock on the guys weed-filled zig zag.

Tyga was celebrating the opening of his new store Last Kings Saturday in Los Angeles ... and while snapping pics with fans, one guy asked Tyga to sign his ganja stick.

Afterward ... the guy doesn't quite say he'd never smoke it.

We called doctors across the country attempting to get an expert opinion on what kinda damage smoking ink can have on your lungs.

Justin Bieber's new neighbors aren't exactly rolling out the welcome mat ... quite the opposite, there's a big protest scheduled for Monday morning thrown by residents who fear their kids will get mowed down by the pot-smoking, sizzurp-slurping speed demon.

Residents in the uber-exclusive area of Buckhead -- where Bieber is renting a house from rap mogul Dallas Austin. The Buckhead Neighborhood Coalition is asking protesters to show up at 6 AM ET ... and it looks like lots of people will be there.

More than 200 people say they're going ... after signing a petition which reads, "We have worked hard to achieve our goals and get where we are. Justin Bieber's relocation to Atlanta can be nothing but bad for our children."

The petition goes on, "Some can't even let their child play in the driveway without fear; he has raced vehicles under the influence before. What's to say he won't do it again?"

And the end is great: "Please don't allow a child to ruin what we have worked so hard to obtain."

Sporting his finest Sigma Chi fraternity t-shirt, Richie Incognito hit the Hollywood bar scene again ... and this time, acknowledged that he's a role model.

TMZ Sports shot footage of the Miami Dolphins player rolling into Warwick on the Sunset Strip -- after arriving in his Uber chauffeuered car.

On his way out, Richie got back into his hired ride and had some words of advice for his fellow partiers -- DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE.

Even Jonathan Martin can't argue with that.

Justin Bieber has become the next contestant in a high-stakes game of Let's Make a Deal ... and door #1 is JAIL. Door #2 is way better, but he has to be sober.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the Florida State Attorney has offered Justin a plea deal in his DUI/resisting arrest case ... and we know the terms.

Prosecutors will DROP the DUI and resisting arrest charges, but in return Bieber must:

-- Plead no contest to reckless driving

-- Complete 40 hours of community service

-- Attend an alcohol ed course

-- Attend a "victim impact panel" (where relatives of DUI victims share their stories)

-- Install an ignition interlock device for 3 months

Now here's the rub. Prosecutors also want Bieber to submit to random drug testing, and not just in Florida. He'll have to submit his travel plans to the court and authorities will set up random testing wherever he happens to be ... at his expense. And testing will last between 6 and 9 months.

Assuming he complies with all the terms and PASSES the drug tests, the reduced plea will formally be entered.

Chris Kattan was back in action Friday night with a brand new ride after totaling his old whip and getting busted for DUI.

Chris was leaving Craig's in West Hollywood in a very nice Mercedes ... and clearly did not want to talk about the wild ride in the old Mercedes that ended up in the junk heap.

TMZ broke the story ... Chris was arrested last week after crashing into a parked vehicle inside a coned area on the 101 Freeway. Cops say he admitted to being under the influence of drugs, not alcohol. He appeared totally out of it when he flunked his field sobriety test.

Earlier in the day ... Chris was so whacked out on a flight from Canada to L.A. ... paramedics were there when the plane pulled up to the gate and they treated the former "Saturday Night Live" star.

Miley Cyrus has become a real risk taker lately, but the one she took Thursday night with a stranger's cup of beer is insane.

Miley was singing something -- it's hard to tell which song -- when she got thirsty and spotted someone in the audience with a cold one.

It appears to be a stranger ... but ever the daredevil, she took a swig.

Now we're not trying to be alarmists, but seriously Miley ... do you know the history of the mouth that drank from the beer before you?

Actually ... the real question is whether the guy finished the beer after Miley gave it back.

Fun Fact: You can get herpes from sharing a drink.

Miguel just pled no contest to DUI ... and unlike most celebs -- he's freely admitting he screwed up.

The singer was pulled over last August for tinted windows, and cops suspected he was under the influence. Miguel was arrested and had a blood alcohol level of .11.

The singer, who's had huge hits like "Adorn" and "Beautiful" with Mariah Carey, tells TMZ, "Driving with alcohol in my system was reckless. I'm really sorry and I'm taking responsibility for this mistake."

Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was passed out behind the wheel of his Rolls Royce before he was arrested for DUI ... according to cops ... and TMZ Sports has a pic of the bust.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, officers in Fairfax County, Virginia responded to a tip about a black male passed out in his car at a traffic light at 3:45 PM on Thursday.

When cops arrived to the scene, they approached the vehicle -- and when Davis rolled down his window, the smell of booze hit the officer like a ton of bricks. .

Cops say Davis admitted he'd been drinking at a friend's house.

Cops say Davis proceeded to perform terribly during field sobriety tests -- and he eventually blew a .17 on a breathalyzer.

Davis was eventually arrested for DUI -- cops towed his car from the scene.

Earlier in the week, Davis was suspended by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy -- though Fred insists he simply took a substance that was not FDA approved.

TMZ Sports has obtained Fred Davis' mug shot ... taken moments after the troubled Washington Redskins tight end was arrested for DUI in Virginia on Thursday.

Davis was arrested at 3:45 PM -- and hauled to a nearby station where he was booked and posed for an angry mug shot, in which he looks like he's dying for some water.

It's been a bad week for the 28-year-old -- on Wednesday, the NFL suspended him indefinitely for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Davis insists he was merely taking a substance that was not FDA approved.

Story developing ...

Chief Keef is out of rehab and knows exactly what he needs to get his life back on track ... some high-grade California sunshine.

Keef's attorney tells TMZ, Chief completed his rehab stint in Orange County, CA -- where he was working on his weed addiction -- and immediately flew back to Chicago to visit his daughter, but he's not staying long.

We're told Keef is planning to move to L.A. ... where he can work on new music in his recording studio. The last thing holding him back in Chi-town is a progress hearing in court Feb. 28.