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Amanda Bynes Arrested After Throwing Bong Out of Window

By Aditi Mukherji, JD on May 24, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Sigh, here we go. Again. Troubled actress Amanda Bynes was arrested at her New York apartment after she allegedly chucked a bong out of her window. Police claim that she was trying to destroy evidence of her drug use.

Bynes, 26, was arrested on charges of reckless endangerment, felony tampering with evidence and criminal possession of marijuana, reports MTV.

Officers entered Amanda Bynes' apartment, which reportedly reeked of marijuana, and noticed a bong inside after Bynes opened the door for them. She allegedly grabbed the smoking device and threw it out of the window.

Bynes lives on the 36th floor of a high-rise, by the way.

Evidence Tampering

When you believe that physical evidence is about to be used in an official proceeding and try to conceal, alter or destroy the evidence, you are tampering with physical evidence. In New York, evidence tampering is a Class E felony.

You can also commit evidence tampering by trying to suppress evidence through force, intimidation or deception.

In this case, Bynes, who was wearing a platinum blonde wig at the time of her arrest, allegedly got agitated and yelled, "Don't you know who I am?" (OK, so that's probably not intimidation...).

Reckless Endangerment

In general, reckless endangerment occurs when someone creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury to another person.

The core of the recklessness question is whether Bynes didn't really care about the foreseeable consequences of throwing the bong out of her 36th-story window, and made it actually or imminently dangerous to the rights or safety of others.

If you've ever been to New York City, you know the answer is "yes."

Manhattan -- and certainly Midtown, where Bynes lives -- is densely populated, with passers-by rushing down sidewalks. When it rains bongs in the city, it's very possible that someone would get hurt.

Possession of Marijuana

New York decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in 1977. You can get a $100 fine for it. But possessing marijuana "in public view" remains a misdemeanor that can lead to arrest.

The doorman at the former child star's building told police that she was smoking marijuana in the lobby, acting erratically and talking to herself, reports MTV.

Though the apartment smelled like "skunk," news reports don't mention whether police found any actual marijuana. The possession charge risks being dropped if officers never found the actual drug -- the bong is just paraphernalia.

After Amanda Bynes' arrest, she was taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Bynes appeared in court Friday, and was released until her next court date, New York's WNBC-TV reports.

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