Paul Pelosi, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s husband, has found himself in the hot seat this past week following his court date for a DUI he received back in May of 2022. After entering a guilty plea, Pelosi was sentenced to five days in jail, a fine of just under $5,000, and three years probation. The sentence was met with much scrutiny from the public, many insisting Pelosi was let off easy on account of his wife’s status. 

On May 28, 2022, police in Yountville, California were called to respond to a car crash. Upon arrival, the officers were met with a clearly intoxicated Pelosi. Unable to balance without gripping the police car and unable to successfully complete any of the roadside tests, Pelosi was arrested that very night for driving under the influence. 

Months later, on August 16th, Pelosi would plead guilty and be sentenced to five days in jail, a $4,927 fine, and three years probation. It is notable that this was not Pelosi’s first plea, as he had originally pleaded not guilty to the DUI charge. 

Pelosi did not appear in court to hear his sentence, instead allowing his lawyer, Amanda Bevins, to attend the hearing on his behalf, as allowed by California law. However, despite his sentence, Pelosi will spend only two days in jail, with one day of community service and the remaining two waived on account of conduct credit. 

One week after the sentence, on August 23rd, the dashcam footage from the patrol car was released to the public, allowing Americans more insight into what happened the night of May 28th. On the footage, Pelosi appears off-balance. When asked for identification, Pelosi offers his driver’s license a foundation card which verifies his dedication to donating substantial sums of money to a Highway Patrol Charity. When asked about his alcohol consumption, Pelosi replies that he had “a glass of champagne before dinner” along with “a glass of wine.”

Pelosi is transported to a nearby hospital to treat the bruises on his hands and forearms caused by the crash. Though Pelosi refused to take a breathalyzer test while at the scene of the crash, a blood sample taken hours afterward reveals his blood alcohol concentration to be at 0082%.

Some have taken issue with the final ruling, as they believe Pelosi deserved harsher punishment. Many insist his marriage to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi allowed him to walk free far sooner than he would have otherwise. Regardless, as of now, Paul Pelosi is off the hook, though the effects of this arrest on his wife’s standing in congress remains to be seen.