SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Paul Pelosi, husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges two months after a vehicle collision in Napa County.
According to The Associated Press, Paul Pelosi did not attend Napa County Superior Court, but his lawyer entered the pleas for him. The speaker’s husband faces two charges: driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving with 0.08% blood alcohol level or higher causing injury.
On June 23, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley’s office issued a criminal complaint against Pelosi “based upon an automobile collision and driving under the influence arrest” on May 28. Pelosi had a 0.082% blood alcohol content, according to the DA’s office. Haley filed misdemeanor charges; DAs have discretion in cases like Pelosi’s to either file misdemeanor or felony charges.
“This decision is consistent with how our office handles these cases with similar injuries,” Haley said.
Pelosi’s Porsche collided with another vehicle at 10:17 p.m. on May 28; the blood sample was taken at 12:32 a.m.
The victim of the collision, referred to as John Doe in Haley’s filed complaint, turned down medical treatment on the scene. The victim said in an interview with Napa County investigators that on the day following the collision “it was difficult to lift things with his right arm and he was suffering from headaches that had not been present prior to the collision.”
According to court records, a settlement conference is scheduled for Pelosi on Aug 23.
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