California senator admits he’s gay
after DUI
04.19.2010 11:00am EDT
(Sacramento, Calif.) State
Sen. Roy Ashburn has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor drunken driving after an
episode that led the Bakersfield Republican to acknowledge he is gay.
Ashburn was sentenced to
two days in jail and three years probation. He also was ordered to pay $2,000
in fines and fees and had his driver’s license suspended for 30 days.
Ashburn entered his plea
Wednesday. Sacramento County prosecutors said he had a blood alcohol level of
.15, nearly double the legal limit, when his state-provided vehicle was stopped
by the California Highway Patrol.
Reports that the
conservative senator had been at a gay-friendly nightclub near the state
Capitol prompted Ashburn to acknowledge his sexual orientation. Ashburn, who is
55, is not running for re-election.