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Cat Cora DUI: Celeb Chef Cited for DUI in Santa Barbara

By Deanne Katz, Esq. on July 12, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Celebrity chef Cat Cora was busted for a DUI in June after she rear-ended another vehicle in Santa Barbara.

No one was hurt in the accident but when police arrived they reportedly found Cora showing signs of intoxication. She admitted to having three beers earlier in the night and reportedly told the officers that she was on her way home. She also had an argument with her partner earlier in the night reported the Santa Barbara Independent.

Three beers may or may not put you over the limit, but Cora is a diminutive 4'11" according to Google and she looks pretty slim on camera.

The fact that Cora failed the breathalyzer is also pretty relevant.

The officers actually gave Cora two breathalyzer tests as reported by MSN. One registered a 0.19 and the other a 0.20. The legal limit is 0.08. Police then took her to a local hospital to have a blood test which registered a 0.19.

After she sobered up, police gave her a citation and scheduled an arraignment for July 26.

In most situations, once a person fails one Blood Alcohol Content test that's all the evidence police need. But tests that measure BAC aren't above reproach. An attorney can always try to challenge the results despite the general strength of the tests.

Cora is a well-known TV personality from her spots on Iron Chef and Around the World in 80 Plates so it's possible that police recognized her. Running multiple tests and using different kinds of assessment could head off any challenge to the results.

While there is always a small risk of test error, the fact that three tests showed similar BACs would indicate to a court that the result was likely accurate.

This is the first DUI offense for Cat Cora and it seems she has learned her lesson. She made a statement Tuesday morning that she regrets her actions and vowed that it would not happen again.

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