Arrested for drunk driving in late August, Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) will not face arraignment until just days after the November election, in which Hueso is being challenged by a fellow Democrat. Hueso was also offered the option to accept lesser charges in place of the two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol.
The lesser “wet reckless” driving charge offered to Hueso “carries about half the fine and no jail time compared with the maximum $1,000 fine and six months in jail included in the DUI charges, said Sacramento County Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Grippi,” reported the San Diego Union Tribune.
Hueso’s Thursday arraignment, for which he was not present, was delayed through the request of his lawyer and has been reset for November 6. The general election, which includes Hueso’s bid for re-election against fellow Democrat Rafael Estrada, will be held Tuesday, November 4. Estrada received 27.9% of the vote in California’s June primary election.
Officers had arrested Hueso for drunk driving on August 22 after observing him driving the wrong way down a one-way street. His blood alcohol level was registered at .08 percent, the legal limit, at the time officers tested him.
August 22, Hueso’s challenger Rafael Estrada, also a Democrat, posted the story of Hueso’s DUI arrest on his campaign Facebook page. Hueso’s few Facebook posts also include a January 2013 post of an image “Via- National Tequila Party” that reads, “Illegal Immigration Started in 1492.”
Numerous Democrat legislators have faced criminal violations in recent months. Senators Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), Ronald Calderon (D-Montebello), and Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood) were suspended over criminal violations, leading to Senate approval of three “ethical behavior” measures. Each is aimed at demanding a higher level of ethics from Senate members, a previous article by Breitbart’s William Bigelow reported.
Wright resigned from his State Senate position effective September 22, following a felony conviction for perjury and voting fraud. The Los Angeles Times reported, “Wright, 62, was sentenced Friday to jail time, a lifetime ban from holding future public office, three years’ probation, and 1,500 hours of community service. He was ordered to surrender and begin serving his sentence Oct. 31.”
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