Roger Clinton's Arraignment for Redondo Beach DUI Arrest Postponed

REDONDO BEACH, CA — An arraignment for former first brother Roger Clinton on two misdemeanor DUI counts stemming from his June 5 arrest was postponed Friday until Oct. 6 at the request of his attorney, who said he hopes the matter would be resolved by then.

The judge approved the request, giving the attorney time to try to work out a deal with prosecutors, but also ordered that former President Bill Clinton's half-brother attend one Alcoholics Anonymous meeting per week or enroll in an approved alcohol education program.

Roger Clinton, who was not required to appear in court given that he's facing misdemeanors, not felonies, was charged July 11 with one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood- alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher, along with an allegation that he refused to submit to a chemical test.

Now 60, Roger Clinton was arrested the evening of June 5 by Redondo Beach police. He was released on a $15,000 bond at 9:30 a.m. June 6, according to jail records.

If convicted of the charges, he could face up to six months in custody and up to a $1,000 fine, along with a mandatory 48-hour minimum jail sentence involving an allegation that he refused to submit to a chemical test, Redondo Beach City Prosecutor Melanie Chavira said in July.

Roger Clinton's attorney, Walter F. Wiggins Jr., said in a statement in July, "Given the filing of formal charges against Roger Clinton related to allegations of DUI, we look forward to working amicably with the city prosecutor in an effort to assess the evidence and arrive at a fair resolution of the matter."

Roger Clinton pleaded guilty in August 2001 to a misdemeanor count of reckless driving after Hermosa Beach city prosecutors agreed to drop two DUI charges and one count of disturbing the peace against him. He was sentenced then to two years probation, ordered not to drive with any alcohol or drugs in his system and to pay about $1,350 in fines and costs.

Attorney Mark Geragos, who handled that case on Roger Clinton's behalf, said then that he planned to ask for that conviction to be expunged so that it wouldn't be on Roger Clinton's record. Geragos could not be reached for comment on whether that occurred.

— City News Service, photo courtesy of the RBPD