Prosecutors have offered a plea deal that would reduce the drunken driving charge lodged against state Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, who was arrested after going the wrong direction on a one-way street in downtown Sacramento.
Hueso was arrested Aug. 22 by California Highway Patrol officers. The former San Diego City Council president is charged with a misdemeanor count of driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or greater.
The Sacramento Bee reported that prosecutors offered a reduction of the charge to a lower-level misdemeanor of wet reckless. Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Grippi said it was a typical offer for someone with Hueso's blood-alcohol level, which authorities said was 0.08 percent. That is the legal limit set for driving drunk in California.
Hueso was not required to attend the hearing, which is typical for misdemeanor DUI cases. Another court date was set for Nov. 6.
After his arrest, Hueso issued the following statement: "I am truly and profoundly sorry for the unacceptably poor personal judgment which I demonstrated last night. As someone who cares deeply about the public safety, I sincerely apologize to my family, my constituents and my colleagues in the Senate for breaching the trust they've all placed in me. I accept complete personal responsibility for my actions and any punishments that ultimately come my way as a result of this incident. I will also engage in immediate, corrective actions to ensure this kind of personal conduct is never repeated."
Hueso, a first-term senator, was arrested after attending a Latino Caucus dinner to honor Latino lawmakers leaving office.
