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A lawyer for Paul Pelosi, the multimillionaire husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, appeared on his behalf in a Napa County, California, court for his arraignment on DUI charges Wednesday morning.
The attorney, Amanda Bevins, entered a plea of not guilty to both accounts on her client’s behalf before Napa County Superior Court Judge Monique Langhorne.
Pelosi’s 2021 Porsche and the other driver’s 2014 Jeep sustained “major collision damage” in a crash around 10:17 pm on May 28, and responding officers found Pelosi in his driver’s seat in his damaged car near the intersection of California Route 29 and Oakville Cross Road.
He faces two misdemeanor charges, DUI causing injury and driving with a blood alcohol level of .08% causing injury.
Aimee McLeod, a deputy district attorney in Napa County, appeared for the prosecution.
PAUL PELOSI ALLEGEDLY SLURRED SPEECH, HAD DRUG IN SYSTEM AND HANDED OVER POLICE PRIVILEGE CARD DURING DUI BUST
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and husband Paul Pelosi
(Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty Images)
Pelosi will remain free on her own recognition and is due back in court on Aug. 23 at 9 am PT for a settlement conference.
The parties could discuss the possibility of a plea agreement, continue the case or prepare for trial, Bevins said.
If convicted, Pelosi could face up to five years of probation, a minimum of five days in jail and be ordered to install an ignition interlock device in her car, according to District Attorney Allison Haley’s office. Other punishments could include fines and fees and a court-ordered “drinking driver class.”
The arraignment comes a day after Pelosi’s wife, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, rattled US-China relations with a trip to Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory. And it comes a week after he reports that he sold millions of dollars in Nvidia stock leading up to a House vote on a bill that would impact the industry.
A spokesperson for Speaker Pelosi’s office noted that the shares had been sold at a loss.
“Mr. Pelosi bought options to buy stock in this company more than a year ago and exercised them on June 17, 2022,” the spokesperson, Drew Hammill, said in a statement. “As always, he does not discuss these matters with the Speaker until trades have been made and required disclosures must be prepared and filed.”
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On the night of the crash, Pelosi allegedly handed officers his driver’s license and an “11-99 Foundation” card when they asked for his ID, according to the documents. The 11-99 Foundation is a California Highway Patrol charity that supports officers and provides scholarships for their children.
Pelosi allegedly exhibited “signs of impairment” during field sobriety tests and officers “observed objective signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication,” according to the documents.
Those allegedly included “red/watery” eyes.
“He was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred, and he had a strong odor of an alcohol beverage emanating from his breath,” the complaint alleges.
The other driver, identified only as John Doe, was standing outside an SUV, according to the documents.
Both of them declined medical treatment at the scene, but Doe on June 2 told Napa County prosecutors that he had begun suffering pain in his upper right arm, right shoulder and neck the day after the crash. He also complained of headaches and said it was difficult to lift things with his right arm, according to the documents.
PAUL PELOSI TO BE ARRAIGNED ON DUI CHARGES WEDNESDAY
Pelosi allegedly injured the other driver “while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and a drug and under their combined influence,” the first count in the two-charge complaint reads.
Investigators later determined he had a blood-alcohol content of .082%.
Pelosi’s attorney Bevins told Fox News Digital, “I believe that the drug reference is part of the statutory boilerplate language in the complaint.”
Previously, descriptions of property damage and injuries stemming from the crash had been withheld.
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Records show Pelosi made bail the morning after the crash for a $5,000 sum.
Speaker Pelosi’s office has previously said it would not comment on the incident, which a spokesperson said happened while she was on the opposite side of the country.