The Orange County Register reported on Wednesday that the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Paul Pelosi entered a plea of not guilty to the misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol in Napa County Superior Court on Wednesday, August 3.
Pelosi did not appear personally at the proceedings, and his not-guilty plea was entered via his counsel, Amanda Bevins. According to California law, an attorney can appear in court in lieu of the defendant in a misdemeanor case unless otherwise ordered by the court.
Paul Pelosi was arrested for DUI after his involvement in a crash in Napa County on the night of May 28. A blood sample taken from Pelosi approximately two hours following the crash revealed that he had a blood alcohol level of 0.82 percent – which is significantly higher than the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Pelosi was released on a $5,000 bond the following day.
Prosecutors with the District Attorney’s Office filed the misdemeanor charges on behalf of the driver of the Jeep that was involved in the collision with Pelosi’s Porsche. The Jeep’s driver claimed injury in the crash. No further information about the other driver’s injuries was available at the time of the report.
A trial date has not yet been announced.
If convicted of the charges against him, Pelosi could serve five days in jail, up to five years of probation, be required to attend a class on drinking and driving, and have an interlock device installed on his vehicle.
