Senator Arrested on DUI Charges Near State Capitol
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 4, 2023) — California State Senator Dave Min (D-Orange County) was arrested Tuesday night on alleged misdemeanor drunk driving and other charges on 9th Street near the State Capitol.
The Senator, who is running to replace 47th District Representative Katie Porter (D-Ca) in the U.S. House of Representatives, was pulled over for allegedly driving without his headlights on and running through a red traffic light. He was booked into the Sacramento County Jail, but released early Wednesday morning.
“My decision to drive last night was irresponsible,” said Min in a Facebook post on May 3rd. “I accept full responsibility and there is no excuse for my actions. To my family, constituents and supporters, I am so deeply sorry. I know I need to do better. I will not let this personal failure distract from our work in California and in Washington.”
The Capitol Protection Section of the California Highway Patrol reports Dave Min’s silver Toyota Camry was heading southbound on 9th Street near S. Street around 10:20 p.m. on May 2nd. Police followed his car and witnessed him stop momentarily for a red light and then allegedly drive through the red light.
When CHP officers pulled him over, Min showed “signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication.” He was arrested and tested positive for DUI after taking a breathalyzer test.
Authorities cited Min for misdemeanor Driving Under the Influence with Blood Alcohol Content .08% or greater.
Dave Min represents California’s 37th Senate district that comprises Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Orange, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach.
DUI Arrests by California State Senators
Other California state Senators have been arrested for drunk driving or other alcohol-related offenses over the years including Roy Ashburn, (Republican Bakersfield), who represented District 18 from 2002 to 2010.
He was arrested in downtown Sacramento around 2:10 a.m. on March 3, 2010, the Los Angeles Times said. Police say he was driving erratically and was pulled over. He failed a sobriety test due to a blood-alcohol level of 0.14%, nearly double the 0.08 limit. Police took him to Sacramento County Jail where he was booked and released. Later, he pleaded no contest to two counts of DUI after serving two days in jail and had three years probation. Furthermore, his driver’s license was suspended for 30 days, he paid fines and fees around $2,000 and had to attend a class for DUI offenders.
A second State Senator, Ben Hueso, a Democrat representing District 40 in San Diego, was arrested on suspicion of DUI on Aug. 22, 2014. CHP officers say he was driving the wrong way on a one-way street in a state vehicle near the Capitol, the Los Angeles Times reports. He plead no contest to a lesser office, a “wet reckless” charge, not a DUI charge. He got three years of probation, a $240 file and had to attend a 6-week alcohol program. Hueso served from March 21, 2013 until December 5, 2022,
California Personal Injury Attorney
Those of us at Johnson Attorneys Group hope that you found this information timely and helpful. Our law firm has been handling personal injury cases on behalf of injured clients throughout California for more than a decade. If you have legal questions and would like to speak to Attorney James Johnson, please contact us as soon as possible. Our law firm is a proud, longtime supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
