Michigan lawmaker Mary Cavanagh pleads guilty to operating vehicle while intoxicated

A Michigan state lawmaker faces up to 93 days in jail after pleading guilty to operating a vehicle under the influence.

State Rep. Mary Cavanagh, D-Redford Township, entered her plea earlier this week. The deal comes after her arrest in February, when Livonia police reportedly watched her try to drive a vehicle with two flat tires. Cavanagh, a first-term lawmaker and member of a politically prominent family, had a blood alcohol level that was more than twice the level at which someone can be convicted of drunken driving, according to police records.

This is the second time she's been charged with a similar offense.

Her lawyer, Todd Perkins, and Livonia city attorney Paul Bernier confirmed the agreement.

"I was not going to treat her any differently than I treat anyone else, either harsher or easier," Bernier said in a phone interview Thursday. "The goal is always to try and get them into some kind of treatment program."

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As part of her plea, Cavanagh wants to be accepted into a program called sobriety court. After successful admission into and completion of the program, participants are able to drive with a restricted license and after installing a device the prevents a vehicle from starting without the driver passing a test to prove the person is not drunk.

Bernier said not everyone who applies gets into the program, only those who "actually want to become sober."

"It’s about treatment, really. It’s about treatment, counseling and really getting to the point where you’re dealing with recovery for the rest of your life," Perkins said.

Admission into the program does not necessarily prevent Cavanagh from receiving jail time, a fine or community service, Bernier said.

Cavanagh, 30, is the latest in her family to serve in public office. Her father was a state lawmaker from from 2011 to 2015 and her grandfather, Jerome Cavanagh, was mayor of Detroit from 1962 to 1970.

“Rep. Cavanagh has taken an important step toward accountability and many important steps toward healthy behaviors. She has done this while serving her constituents faithfully, and we will continue to support her as she chooses as the legal process concludes," House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinskiof Scio Township said in a statement.

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She is the third Michigan lawmaker this session to face punishment for charges related to drunken driving.

State Rep. Jewell Jones, D-Inkster, was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to a slew of driving, alcohol and weapons charges after a 2021 arrest in Livingston County.

In 2021, Rep. Brian Posthumus, R-Oakfield Township, was sentenced to 15 days in jail after pleading guilty to operating a vehicle under the influence.

Cavanagh's sentencing is May 6.

Contact Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan lawmaker pleads guilty to operating vehicle while intoxicated