12 seconds ago 2009-11-09T22:43:48-08:00
Former Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-N.Y.) pleaded guilty on Monday to driving under the influence and was sentenced to four days in jail.
Fossella will begin serving his four days — two weekends behind bars — on Friday in Alexandria, Va.
Fossella, who served in the House for more than 11 years, was arrested on May 1, 2008, after running a red light in Alexandria. Police said Fossella’s blood-alcohol level was 0.17 percent, well over the legal limit for driving.
The controversy over his arrest led to the end of Fossella’s congressional career. After reporters dug into remarks he made to the arresting officer, it was revealed that the married Fossella had a daughter with his mistress. The resulting uproar led the 44-year-old Fossella to retire rather than seek reelection.
Monday’s guilty plea came as a surprise. He had been convicted in December on the drunken-driving charge but appealed that decision, and he was scheduled to begin a two-day trial this week.
However, Fossella’s lawyer told the New York Daily News that his client decided to drop his appeal following the death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, who was killed last week in a car accident involving an alleged drunk driver.
“There was a lot of publicity about Nick Adenhart,” defense lawyer Jerry Phillips told the newspaper. “It placed his case in an atmosphere where a lot of emotion was involved.”
