State Rep. Elliot Engen, R-Lino Lakes, has been sentenced to a year of probation after pleading guilty to driving under the influence stemming from his arrest last March.
We covered the original arrest story earlier this year when Engen told police he was “sober cabbing” two other passengers, including Republican Rep. Walter Hudson, when he was stopped by police in White Bear Lake. Hudson claimed that a “bottle of alcohol” in a child’s car seat in the rear passenger area of the pickup belonged to him, but police didn’t buy that Engen was completely sober behind the wheel. Engen was asked to take a breathalyzer, which revealed that he was operating the vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.13%, more than one and a half times the legal limit. He later told officers he consumed two beers that evening.
“To my family, colleagues and constituents. I am deeply sorry,” Engen said in a statement following his arrest. “I strive to be a man of great character, and my actions fell short last night. I will learn from this. I will do better.”
Earns Favorable Plea Deal
Engen officially pleaded guilty on Thursday to misdemeanor DWI with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 within two hours, according to court documents.
All in all, this is a pretty tame plea deal for someone who was well over the 0.08 limit. He did not cause an accident, he was not more than double the legal BAC (where upgraded charges become standard) and he doesn’t appear to have any previous drunk driving arrests on his record, so it’s not all that surprising that his legal team was able to negotiate a favorable plea deal. He’ll have to keep things in check during his probation period, but he’s not going to spend any time in jail, and he shouldn’t experience any real interruption with his legislative work. His case is a testament to having a competent legal time on your side when you make a mistake and want to avoid a worst case scenario.
If you run into a similar problem or you need help navigating a criminal matter, pick up the phone and reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today. We answer our phones 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call us day or night at (952) 224-2277 and let us help you out of a sticky situation.
