Sabini pleads guilty to DWAI

BY CHRISTINA SANTUCCI

Wednesday, February 6, 2008 7:10 PM EST

State Senator John Sabini has pled guilty to Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI), a lesser offense than original misdemeanor he was charged with last year.

In a statement released on Tuesday, February 5, Sabini said, “I take the matter against me very seriously, and am extremely grateful to have this settled. I would like to offer a sincere apology to my constituents, the Albany Court, and the many loyal friends, colleagues and family members for any burdens this may have caused.”

As punishment for the “traffic violation,” Sabini paid $300 in fines, not including processing fees to the New York State Court in Albany. He also will have to take classes detailing the risks of drunk driving and the impact on victims, scheduled for next month, his spokesperson said. The DMV has not yet determined how many hours of classes Sabini will have to attend, the spokesperson said.

The maximum penalties for a first-time DWAI offense is $300, up to 15 days in jail and a 90-day license suspension, according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The blood alcohol limit for a DWAI offense is between .05 and .07, according to the DMV.

On September 27, 2007, Sabini was charged with misdemeanor Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Albany police told local media after the incident that Sabini was pulled over after failing to signal, then driving down the center of two lanes. He refused to take a breathalyzer test at the scene, police said.

On Tuesday, February 5, Sabini’s spokesperson said that the Senator was not planning to comment on the blood-alcohol test.

A first-time misdemeanor DWI offense, which was the original charge, comes with a maximum fine of $1,000, up to one year in jail and a possible six-month license revocation. Those charged with DWI have a .08 blood alcohol content or higher or show other signs of intoxication.

State Senator John Sabini

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Reader Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of queenscourier.com.

Bob Smith wrote on Feb 8, 2008 11:06 AM:

" Sabini needs to retire! I'm am sick and tired of having to see our elected officials, our advocates, being hypocrites. How is he ever going to go to a college campus and implore the students to refrain from drinking and driving?

As an elected offcial, like it or not, you MUST lead by example. A good example would be for Sabini to gracefully retire now rather then be thrown out in september. "