Paul Pelosi pleads not guilty to Napa County DUI charges
NAPA (CBS SF/AP) – Paul Pelosi, the husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, pleaded not guilty to DUI charges stemming from an injury auto crash in May.
Pelosi, 82, did not appear in person at Napa County Superior Court Wednesday. His attorney Amanda Bevins entered not guilty pleas for him on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving with a .08% blood alcohol level or higher causing injury.
State law allows for DUI misdemeanor defendants to appear through their attorney unless ordered otherwise by the court.
He was arrested following a May 28 crash in Napa County after a DUI test showed he had a blood alcohol content level of .082%.
The blood sample was taken about two hours after the collision occurred at 10:17 p.m., the Napa County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
Pelosi was driving a 2021 Porsche into an intersection near the wine country town of Yountville that was hit by a 2014 Jeep, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Prosecutors filed the case as a misdemeanor because of the injuries sustained by the 48-year-old driver of the Jeep. They have not described the injuries or provided more information about the other driver, saying the person has requested privacy.
Judge Monique Langhorne ordered that the matter be continued until August 23 at 9:00 a.m. At that time, Pelosi may plead guilty or no contest, or the case can be set for jury trial.
The judge allowed Pelosi to remain free on his own recognizance.
If convicted, Pelosi faces up to a minimum of five days in jail and up to five years of probation. He would also be required to complete a drinking driver class and install an ignition interlock device in his vehicle — a breathalyzer that requires the driver to blow into it before operating the vehicle, prosecutors said.
