Robert Downey Jr. pardoned for 1996 drug conviction
LOS ANGELES — Robert Downey Jr. has been pardoned by California Gov. Jerry Brown for a 1996 drug conviction that the "Avengers" star served jail time for.
The Christmas Eve pardon, which has become an annual tradition for the governor, was bestowed to 90 other people on Thursday. The pardons are issued to applicants who have shown "exemplary behavior and have lived productive and law-abiding lives following their conviction."
Downey was busted on a Los Angeles highway and convicted of felony drug possession after authorities found heroin, cocaine and a pistol in his vehicle. He spent nearly a year in prison in 1999 after violating his probation.
The actor, ranked as Forbes' highest-paid actor three years in a row, has made quite the comeback, starring in the "Iron Man" and "Avengers" franchises.
