Rip Torn apparently had too much of the Christmas spirit(s), at least according to Connecticut’s finest.

The 30 Rock costar pleaded not guilty Monday to two counts stemming from a Dec. 14 drunken driving arrest.

The 77-year-old was rung up on charges of illegal operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence and failure to drive in the proper lane after cops caught him cruising the breakdown lane of Route 44 with a Christmas tree tied to the roof of his Subaru. Torn lives in Salisbury, Conn., near the New York border.

Police say the actor botched part of a field sobriety exam then refused to continue, insisting the ground wasn’t level enough. He also refused a breath test.

Torn, who currently plays Alec Baldwin’s back-from-a-coma boss Don Geiss on 30 Rock and is best known for the Men in Black films and his Emmy-winning role on The Larry Sanders Show, is due back in court Jan. 28.

In 2007, Torn pleaded guilty in a New York court to driving while impaired. He was fined and lost his license. In 2004, a Manhattan jury acquitted him of driving drunk and causing a fender-bender.

Source

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