San Antonio Metropolis Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez now faces an elevated driving whereas intoxicated cost.
Outcomes of a police-ordered blood draw revealed her blood alcohol focus was at or above 0.15 on the night time of her arrest in late July, in line with new court docket data filed Tuesday.
Below Texas legislation, a DWI cost is elevated to a Class A misdemeanor if a driver’s blood alcohol focus is 0.15 or increased.
Consequently, she now faces an upgraded cost of a Class A misdemeanor with a most penalty of 1 12 months in jail and/or a $4,000 advantageous.
Meza Gonzalez, who was elected in June to characterize District 8 on the town’s Northwest Facet, was pulled over late at night time July 24 and launched the next day on a $1,000 bond.
The councilwoman has repeatedly denied that she was ingesting that night time, together with in police physique digicam footage launched on Aug. 8. The SAPD DWI/visitors case report indicated she refused to supply a breath specimen on the time of her arrest.
Below Texas legislation, that refusal triggered an automated 180-day license suspension.
The councilwoman mentioned in a press release following her arrest that she would “take full accountability” for her actions.
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones known as for a particular council assembly Sept. 11 to think about a censure vote and suspended Meza Gonzalez’s committee assignments “till additional discover or till extra particulars of the incident are identified.”
Whereas censure votes carry no authorized penalties, they act as a powerful condemnation of a member’s habits.
Her Oct. 2 arraignment was canceled after the case was reassigned to County Courtroom-at-Legislation 9, a routine step following the upgraded cost.
