MA: MASSACHUSETTS DEM LEADER GETS OUI PROBATION
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WESTBOROUGH, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Stephen Kerrigan, chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, is on probation after being arrested last month on drunk driving charges, according to documents obtained by NewsCenter 5.
According to a criminal complaint, an officer of the Southborough Police Department was monitoring traffic on Turnpike Road at 12 a.m. June 13 when they saw Kerrigan’s BMW SUV driving in the middle of both lanes.
The officer stopped the SUV and described speaking with Kerrigan, who was alone in the vehicle.
“He stated he was going home from a restaurant,” the officer wrote. “As I was speaking with Stephen, his eyes appeared to be glassy and bloodshot red.”
The officer said they could not smell alcohol “due to an overwhelming odor of cologne” and that Kerrigan reported having two beers with dinner. However, the officer described Kerrigan slurring his speech and conducted field sobriety tests.
According to the criminal complaint, a test at 12:55 a.m. found Kerrigan’s blood alcohol content was 0.089%, and a second test a few minutes later found a BAC of 0.086%.
Kerrigan faced charges of OUI liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and a marked lanes violation, according to the criminal complaint.
NewsCenter 5 reached out to Kerrigan, his attorney and the Massachusetts Democratic Party for comment, and we are awaiting a response.
Our reporters confirmed the address listed on the criminal complaint matches the address Kerrigan uses on campaign finance documents.
Court documents indicate that Kerrigan was in court on June 15, when he entered a plea of admission to sufficient facts on at least one count. The case was continued without a finding.
A probation document indicates that Kerrigan agreed to participate in the Massachusetts impaired driving program, pay $600 in fines and his license was suspended for 45 days.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey released a statement on the incident:
“Driving under the influence is never acceptable. I’m relieved that no one was hurt. I have spoken to Steve and told him how unacceptable this is,” Healey said. “He has taken responsibility for his actions and committed to making sure this never happens again. I am grateful to law enforcement for their response and all they do to keep our communities safe.”
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