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Amanda Bynes Charged in 2 Hit-and-Runs, May Face Jail Time

By Andrew Lu on September 05, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Amanda Bynes has been charged with two criminal counts of hit-and-run following two separate crashes earlier this year.

The former child star could face up to six months in jail for each count as well as a $1,000 fine, reports ABC News.

Amanda Bynes' hit-and-run charges follow a particularly bad driving year for the actress. Bynes was arrested for driving under the influence on April 6. Four days later, the first of her alleged hit-and-runs took place. Then last month, Bynes was charged with her second hit-and-run.

Neither of Amanda Bynes' alleged hit-and-run incidents resulted in injuries. Rather, Bynes is accused of simply leaving the scene of an accident. As you may know, following a car accident, you're required to remain on the scene. Even if you are not at fault in causing the accident, you cannot simply drive away.

If Bynes was not aware of this requirement after her DUI arrest in April, she surely should have been reminded of this requirement after her first alleged hit-and-run.

Now Bynes finds herself in a difficult position. While prosecutors ordinarily may not ask for jail time for a misdemeanor like a hit-and-run with no injuries, the fact that Bynes was charged twice with the same crime in a five-month period may warrant some time behind bars.

There's no word yet on whether Amanda Bynes will appeal again to President Obama to get herself out of the hit-and-run charges. Following her DUI arrest, Bynes famously tweeted to President Obama: "I don't drink Please fire the cop who arrested me. I also don't hit and run. The end."

Not surprisingly, President Obama did not respond to Bynes' tweet. Unfortunately for her, the leader of the free world can't grant a pardon for Amanda Bynes' hit-and-runs. That's because presidential pardons only work for federal convictions, not state DUI charges.

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