Nancy Pelosi's Husband Sentenced To 5 Days In Jail For DUI

NAPA, CA — Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, pleaded guilty Tuesday to driving under the influence of alcohol in connection with a crash and DUI arrest in May in Napa Valley wine country.

Based upon Pelosi's plea, Napa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Solga dismissed the second charge of driving with .08 percent blood alcohol level or higher causing injury, the Napa County District Attorney's Office said.

Judge Solga sentenced Pelosi to three years of probation and five days in jail. He must also submit to a blood, breath or urine test if requested by any law enforcement officer or probation officer if he is suspected of driving with a measurable amount of alcohol; pay $4,927.53 in restitution to the victim for medical bills and lost wages; not operate a motor vehicle with a measurable amount of alcohol; immediately enroll in, pay for, and successfully complete a licensed DUI program for three months; and not operate a motor vehicle unless it is equipped with a functioning, certified ignition device for one year.

"Based upon this conviction, the Department of Motor Vehicles can suspend Mr. Pelosi’s driver’s license for one year," the Napa County DA's Office said Tuesday morning in a news release following the court proceeding.

Pelosi initially pleaded not guilty when arraigned Aug. 3 on the two misdemeanor charges.

The Plea

Pelosi did not appear in person for the matter heard at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The courtroom was open to the public, and the proceedings were broadcast via Zoom.

"Under California Penal Code section 977, a defendant can appear through their attorney on a DUI misdemeanor case and does not have to be present in the courtroom unless ordered by a judicial officer," the DA's Office said. "Mr. Pelosi was not ordered by the court to personally appear at the sentencing and he chose to appear through his defense counsel. Judge Solga accepted plea forms from Mr. Pelosi’s privately retained defense counsel, Amanda Bevins. The plea forms were signed by Paul Pelosi in front of his attorney."

Patch sent an email request for comment to a spokesperson for Paul Pelosi and will update this post should we hear back.

The Arrest

The Pelosis have a home in St. Helena, a city in Napa County. Around 10:15 p.m. May 28, Pelosi, was driving home in his 2021 Porsche Carrera sports car when he collided with a 2014 Jeep SUV on state Highway 29 at Oakville Cross Road. The crash caused major damage to both vehicles.

Paramedics responded, but Pelosi and the other driver both declined medical treatment at the scene. The other driver reported in a June 2 interview that the day after the crash, he had pain in his right arm, right shoulder and neck.

The driver, who was not identified, told Napa County district attorney investigators it was difficult to lift things with his right arm and that he suffered from headaches that were not present before the collision, the office said.

A blood sample was taken from Pelosi at 12:32 a.m. May 29 and was sent to the California Department of Justice for testing. The results showed Pelosi's blood sample had a .082 percent blood alcohol concentration, the office said.

The following narrative was included in court documents filed in the case:

Following news of Paul Pelosi's DUI charges, Mothers Against Drunk Driving National President Alex Otte issued this statement:

"Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is grateful that no one was killed in the alleged drunk driving crash involving Paul Pelosi. MADD is appalled every time someone makes the wrong and extremely dangerous choice to drive impaired. It is a crime and it is 100% preventable. Every person who makes that choice must be held accountable – no exceptions and no excuses. Mr. Pelosi is uniquely positioned to help educate the public about the dangers of driving impaired and to address the drunk driving crisis on our nation’s roads. Drunk driving killed more than 12,000 people in 2021 – the most since 2007 – and injures more than 300,000 people every year. MADD is committed to serving the victims of this crime and working to end substance-impaired driving by supporting fair and equitable law enforcement and the implementation of a new law that requires drunk driving prevention technology on every new vehicle. We all have a responsibility to be a part of the solution by making the right choice to never drink and drive."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

• Paul Pelosi Lawyers Dispute Account Of Crash, Arrest
• Paul Pelosi Agrees To Court Date In DUI Case: Napa County DA
• Nancy Pelosi's Husband Arraigned On DUI Charges, Pleads Not Guilty: DA