Gary Coleman busts into our Busted Former Child Star Mug Shot Hall of Fame

Last month, we created our Busted Former Child Star Mug Shot Hall of Fame in honor of onetime Family Ties cast member Brian Bonsall, who was arrested in Boulder for allegedly smacking a pal in the face with a stool back in 2007. Little did we know, another candidate with...

By Michael Roberts

January 26, 2010

Audio By Carbonatix

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Last month, we created our Busted Former Child Star Mug Shot Hall of Fame in honor of onetime Family Ties cast member Brian Bonsall, who was arrested in Boulder for allegedly smacking a pal in the face with a stool back in 2007. Little did we know, another candidate with Colorado ties would make a bid for Hall of Fame induction so soon -- but the amazing image seen here makes Gary Coleman an automatic inductee. Congrats!

Coleman, 41, was arrested in Utah after missing a court date for a domestic violence charge -- and bailed out by a fan of his late '70s-early '80s sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. As for his Colorado connections: A few short years after Strokes ended, Coleman wound up in Denver, where he made news via a couple of model moves, purchasing a model home in Highlands Ranch -- it was dubbed the "Busy Woman's Dream House" because of all its labor-saving amenities -- and taking a job at Caboose Hobbies, a model-train store.

These days, presumably, authorities wouldn't describe him as a model citizen -- which is why he's joined Bonsall and the other child stars on our list. Page through their mug shots below.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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