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Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo Arrested for DUI

By Andrew Lu on December 24, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo was arrested on suspicion of DUI over the weekend.

The Republican lawmaker was driving in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Alexandria, Virginia, where a police officer stopped him after seeing him run a red light, Reuters reports.

Crapo was given "several" field sobriety tests, which he allegedly failed. He also took a blood alcohol test and measured 0.11 percent, slightly above the legal driving limit of 0.08.

Admitting blame, the 61-year-old senator said in a statement that he'd made a mistake and apologized to his Idaho constituents, reports Reuters. He added that he accepted "total responsibility" and would deal with whatever penalty would be coming his way.

Given his admission, Crapo has limited his options in facing the DUI charge. Typically, someone facing drunken driving charges can challenge the DUI by arguing that the blood alcohol test was not accurate, that police had no valid reason to conduct a traffic stop, or for other reasons. Additionally, the defendant may be able to later negotiate a lighter penalty in exchange for a guilty plea.

But in this case, Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo has stepped up and admitted to his DUI. While this may have been the honorable thing to do, the senator (and now DUI defendant) has also lost much of his leverage when it comes to a potential DUI defense.

Still, given his position and willingness to accept blame, prosecutors and the judge may not throw the book at Crapo, reportedly a devout Mormon who has previously made public statements to the effect that he does not drink alcohol.

Crapo was taken into custody, but released after paying $1,000 bond.

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