While there has been more than enough coverage on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her comings and goings on Capitol Hill, in May, news broke that her husband, Paul Pelosi crashed his car in the California wine country. It didn’t take long for rumors to fly that Paul was driving under the influence. Although the story gained traction, not much was known about the accident as it seemed the details were being purposely kept from the public. That was until recently, when not only was the video released of his arrest, but on Tuesday, Paul pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol. But while his actions led to both an arrest and a car crash, it seems he got off lucky with only a five-day jail sentence and three years of probation. 

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Overlooking the case, Napa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Solg noted that Paul Pelosi had already served two days in jail when first arrested. And on top of those two days, he received two more days of good conduct credits. As for the last day, it appears he won’t have to serve it as the judge suggested he work eight hours in the work program offered by the court. 


Given the state laws, Paul Pelosi didn’t even need to attend his sentencing as a defendant can appear through their attorney. The Associated Press reported, “As part of his probation, Paul Pelosi will also be required to attend a three-month drinking driver class and install an ignition interlock device, where the driver has to provide a breath sample before the engine will start. He will also have to pay about $5,000 in victim restitution for medical bills and lost wages and nearly $2,000 in fines, the judge said.”

With the video released, which can be watched above, it seems that after the crash, Paul Pelosi was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. While this is routine for major car accidents, Fox News reported that the 82-year-old sat in the hospital for more than two hours before investigators decided to draw a blood sample, giving him time to “burn off the alcohol in his system.” 

Reacting to the story, users online exposed the double standard offered to Paul Pelosi. One person wrote, “1 year ago, I got a DUI in Tulare County CA.0.09. I was pulled over, and rightfully so. I received two years suspended license, with one year with an Interlock device. Three years probation and 24 months of additional insurance requirements, and two days in jail. One hundred twenty days of community service and six months of alcohol deferral. $6500.00 fine. This excludes court costs. My first and last offense. No car crash. No injuries to another. Compare Pelosi to me and tell me this is fair justice applied under the law. We all know what happened here and that there isn’t a chance we have a fair and equitable system of justice.”