NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— New Orleans City Councilman Jared Brossett is arrested again for drunk driving.
WGNO Legal Analyst Cliff Cardone spoke today about what normally what happens when someone gets arrested for DWI.
“They’re going to have to go to court, and either plead guilty or go to trial and the consequences of that are up to six months in jail, a 500 dollar to $1,000 fine. In all likelihood they’re going to have to do community service work. They’ll have to go to driving school, they’ll have to go to substance abuse school,” said Cardone.
In the case of Brossett, many of these elements were put in place as a result of a 2020 DWI arrest and a pre-plea diversion program offered to him by then DA Leon Cannizaro. Brossett was arrested for again for DWI early this morning. He was released a few hours later and the current Orleans DA Jason Williams says Brossett will now have to face the music.
According to Williams, “Council member Brossett is gonna be treated like any other citizen who found themselves in this particular situation.”
Brossett is also in the midst of a campaign to become a council member at large in a race featuring a couple of other high profile names. DA Williams says his office plays no role on whether Brossett continues through election day.
“This office does not have any control over what voters do, on what his decision is whether he stays in this race or gets out of this race,” said Williams.
Support for Brossett came today from council members Glapion and Moreno encouraging him ‘to take the necessary steps to make himself well.’ And even though the prior diversion of the first arrests means he doesn’t have a guilty plea, that incident from his past could affect what happens in the courtroom.
Cardone stated “Yes it could, the judge could consider all of the background information for purposes of sentencing.”
