A candidate for the Washington state House of Representatives appeared in court Friday morning after her arrest last month on suspicion of driving drunk
A candidate for the Washington state House of Representatives appeared in court Friday morning after her arrest last month on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Krista Perez, who is running for the state House, entered a not guilty plea to DUI and a refusal enhancement Friday in Tacoma Municipal Court.
According to court records, the judge found probable cause to support the charges and set the next court hearing for Oct. 30 in the same courtroom.
Police video shows Perez standing outside her vehicle with the airbag deployed behind her on Aug. 11.
Officers said Perez crashed her truck into a parked car after midnight near Lincoln High School, which caused damage to several vehicles.
She told police she was heading home from a friend’s business but could not remember crashing her vehicle. The officer asked, “Did you get into an accident here?” to which Perez responded, “I did not.”
Tacoma officers wrote that Perez smelled strongly of alcohol, and the video shows her admitting, “I had some wine while I was there.” The footage also reveals Perez declined to take a field sobriety test and seemed confused about the process while handcuffed in the back seat of the squad car. “I don’t know what any of this means,” she said.
Krista Perez is seen speaking with officers before her arrest on suspected DUI. (Tacoma Police)Perez narrowly defeated incumbent Melanie Morgan in the August primary just one week before the crash. KOMO News asked voters in Tacoma about how the recent charges could impact Perez’s chances in the November general election.
“If she seeks help, there’s hope for her to continue to do her job,” said Kathryn Lebeau from Tacoma.
Steven Bass, also from Tacoma, said, “At the end of the day it’s a choice and she’s been making bad choices.”
KOMO News reporter Jackie Kent spoke with political analyst Sandeep Kaushik about the potential fallout for Perez’s campaign. Kent asked, “What can any political candidate do in a position like this to regain the public's trust?” Kaushik said, “I think they just have to be really honest. They have to be really humble.” He noted that Perez’s opponent has also faced past criticism from staff and has dealt with ethics questions.
Perez’s campaign did not respond to KOMO News’ request for comment about the arrest and video. However, Perez has been actively posting on her social media pages about endorsements and such.
She appeared in court Friday with her attorney.
State law confirms that a first-time DUI is a gross misdemeanor and does not automatically prevent someone from holding or serving in public office.
