Kentucky Democratic state Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton has been sentenced to home incarceration after her 2024 arrest for driving under the influence.
Chester-Burton, a resident of Shively, entered an Alford plea for driving under the influence on October 15. Jefferson County District Court records indicate that the state legislator received a sentence of 10 days of home incarceration. The charge of reckless driving was dismissed.
Chester-Burton was granted a work release provision, allowing her to participate in legislative meetings in Frankfort while under home incarceration.
Krsna Tibbs, her attorney, told the Lexington Herald-Leader that Chester-Burton entered an Alford plea regarding a DUI, contingent upon undergoing alcohol treatment.“
He stated that such a plea “enables her to preserve her innocence while conceding that the prosecution could prevail based on her testimony against that of the officer.”
“She is not serving a jail sentence, and she has no restrictions and will meet all her legislative obligations in Frankfort as normal,” Tibbs told the newspaper.
The arrest citation from 2024 reveals that police were dispatched to a domestic violence incident when Chester-Burton maneuvered her vehicle into oncoming traffic, remaining stationary for a minute and compelling an approaching vehicle to navigate around her in the opposing lane.
Chester-Burton maneuvered into the appropriate lane, yet halted her vehicle right in the center of the road and shifted it into park.
Officers approached Chester-Burton and noted a strong smell of alcohol emanating from her. Chester-Burton informed officers that she was traveling from Frankfort and received calls from people inquiring about the situation in Shively.
After she was arrested and being transported to jail, Chester-Burton “stated that ‘these guys act like they haven’t ever been to a birthday party,’” the report said.
In 2020, Chester-Burton was arrested for a DUI after dozing off in a drive-through line at a White Castle, all while serving as the mayor of Shively.
This comes after another prominent Democrat found herself in trouble with the law.
A prominent Rhode Island Democrat was captured on police body camera video asking an officer, “You know who I am,” moments before her arrest during a traffic stop.
Maria Bucci, 51, the chairwoman of the Democratic committee in Cranston, the state’s second largest city, is facing a misdemeanor DUI charge following a Dec. 18 traffic stop in East Greenwich, according to media reports, Fox News reported.
“You know who I am right,” Bucci is heard telling an East Greenwich police officer after he said he smelled alcohol on her breath and described her driving as erratic.
“I don’t know who you are miss,” the officer responds.
“You can start throwing out names and start doing out what you need to do, it’s not going to work with me, I’m telling you right now, I’m not the guy for that,” the officer adds.
Body camera footage shows the officer attempting to guide Bucci through a series of field sobriety tests.
Bucci previously served on the Cranston City Council from 2004 to 2008 and ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Cranston.
She also launched an unsuccessful bid for a Rhode Island House of Representatives seat last year, according to the Cranston Herald.
At one point during the stop, Bucci is heard demanding that others be contacted on her behalf.
“Call my husband right now, and call the attorney general and everybody else in town, cause this is disgusting, God forbid I was a Black person, I’d be arrested,” Bucci says in the video.
The officer later places Bucci under arrest.
As she is handcuffed, Bucci looks toward the body camera and insults the officer.
“You’re a d—,” she said. “Like I am not drinking, you’re a loser.”
Bucci was released on a $1,000 personal recognizance and is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 5, according to WPRI.