Mel Gibson arrest tapes remain out of public hands

Despite the encouragement of celebrity news Web site TMZ, the tapes documenting actor Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic rant during his drunken driving arrest will remain from the public eye.

The audio and videotapes, which record Gibson raving with obscenities and insults against Jews in particular, are exempt from the California Public Records Act, said Gary P. Gross of the county counsel's office.

"The records you have requested are records of the investigation and part of the investigatory file in this matter," Gross said.

TMZ says the tapes should be open to the public in order to decide whether or not the actor was given preferential treatment in his arrest. Many have speculated about the fact that a sheriff's department spokesman never mentioned Gibson's remarks when first discussing his arrest, saying he had been detained "without incident."

Gibson was pulled over July 28 after speeding down Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. He was charged with misdemeanor drunken driving, with an arraignment date set for Sept. 28.