A Sonoma County prosecutor is on depart after she was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of driving with a blood alcohol content material almost 4 occasions the authorized restrict.
Deputy District Lawyer Jenica Popik Leonard, who rear-ended a automobile at a busy Santa Rosa intersection throughout rush hour, has but to be charged with any crimes.
“Our workplace has a battle dealing with the legal matter, so we referred the matter to the Lawyer Common’s Workplace,” Chief Deputy District Lawyer Brian Staebell, a spokesman for District Lawyer Jill Ravitch’s workplace, mentioned Tuesday. “On account of this incident Jenica is on depart from our workplace.”
Native protection legal professional Marty Woods, who’s representing Leonard, referred to as the arrest “a really unlucky, unhappy state of affairs.”
“But it surely’s not newsworthy,” Woods mentioned.
“I’m sure that she is going to take care of the problems that she must take care of, and she is going to come again and be a worthy public servant.”
Santa Rosa cops had been dispatched to a collision at School and Mendocino avenues at 5:20 p.m. April 15, in keeping with division spokesman Sgt. Chris Mahurin.
Leonard had crashed into the automobile in entrance of her, and when she and the opposite driver pulled into a close-by car parking zone to trade info, she hit one other parked automobile, Mahurin mentioned. There have been no accidents.
Officers performed a subject sobriety check after Leonard confirmed “indicators of impairment,” Mahurin mentioned. The check confirmed her blood alcohol content material was almost 4 occasions the state’s authorized restrict of 0.08%.
The police division wouldn’t present a extra particular determine, citing metropolis coverage.
A blood alcohol content material of 0.3% or larger can result in full lack of consciousness and elevated potential for demise, according to American Addiction Centers. This stage additionally might trigger a extreme improve in coronary heart charge, irregular respiratory and lack of bladder management.
Mahurin mentioned Leonard obtained a medical examination earlier than she was booked into the Sonoma County Jail.
Staebell declined to touch upon whether or not Leonard was working on the time of her arrest, on a Friday night.
Leonard has no prior arrests in Santa Rosa, police information present.
Officers in Lawyer Common Rob Bonta’s workplace didn’t reply to questions from The Press Democrat in regards to the standing of the investigation by late Wednesday afternoon.
Paul Burglin, a San Rafael protection lawyer and DUI regulation professional, mentioned Leonard might face punitive penalties from the State Bar of California if she is charged with an aggravated misdemeanor — which is feasible, he mentioned, given her excessive blood alcohol content material.
You may attain Employees Author Emily Wilder at 707-521-5337 or emily.wilder@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @vv1lder.
