Paul Pelosi, the businessman husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to two misdemeanor driving under the influence charges stemming from a May car crash.
Pelosi, 82, did not appear in court for the proceeding before Napa County Superior Court Judge Monique Langhorne. His lawyer, Amanda Bevins, entered the plea on his behalf.
The collision happened on May 28. California Highway Patrol said Pelosi was trying to cross State Route 29 in Oakville and a 2014 Jeep struck his 2021 Porsche.
Prosecutors say the Jeep driver, 48, suffered unspecified injuries in the collision.
A blood sample taken after the incident showed Pelosi had a blood alcohol content of 0.082%, the district attorney’s office said in a news release. The legal limit in California is 0.08%.
Pelosi is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving with a blood alcohol level at or above 0.08%. The case is due back in court on Aug. 23.
If convicted, Pelosi could face up to five years of probation, a minimum of five days in jail, installation of an ignition interlock device on his vehicle, and fines.
The hearing came just hours after Nancy Pelosi, Paul's wife of almost 60 years, wrapped up a trip to Taiwan that was heavily criticized by the Chinese government.
A spokesperson for the speaker has called her husband's arrest a "private matter," and noted that it occurred while she was on the East Coast.
