Sacramento, California — A California state senator who was pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence had no drugs or alcohol in her blood and will not face any charges, the Sacramento district attorney announced Friday.
Sacramento police cited state Sen. Sebrina Cervantes earlier this month for driving while drunk. She was engaged in a car accident and was taken to a hospital for minor injuries, where officers discovered “objective signs of intoxication,” a police official earlier stated. Police claimed the congressman also declined to do sobriety tests.
“The toxicology results were negative for any measurable amount of alcohol or drugs.” District Attorney Thien Ho’s office issued a statement. “We have reviewed all of the evidence submitted, including police reports, witness statements, and laboratory results.” Based on our ethical obligation and the burden of proof in a criminal trial, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office declines to file any charges in this instance.”
Cervantes denied any misconduct and produced lab results from the hospital indicating she had no alcohol or drugs in her system. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Sacramento police spokesperson stated that officers followed “established protocols” when issuing the citation and referred questions concerning the district attorney’s decision to the district attorney’s office.
Cervantes, a Democrat, was elected to the state Senate last year to represent a portion of the Inland Empire in southern California after previously serving in the Assembly. She has previously chaired the Latino Legislative Caucus.
The ticket comes after several occurrences in recent years in which Democratic state legislators in California have been accused of driving drunk by local authorities. U.S. Rep. Dave Min, a state senator at the time, and then-Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo were arrested for driving under the influence in separate events in 2023. Both apologized following their arrests.