The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday that it will not be filing DUI charges against State Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside). The DA says blood tests revealed “no measurable amount of drugs or alcohol in her system” — a clear vindication for the senator.
Cervantes was involved in an accident near the State Capitol on May 19. She was taken to a nearby hospital where police say they “observed objective signs of intoxication” and cited her for suspected driving under the influence.
Cervantes was adamant about her innocence. She told media outlets that the police “accosted” her and involuntarily detained her for several hours despite hospital lab results showing no alcohol in her system. A drug screening taken days later also came back negative.
According to CalMatters, video of the crash appears to show that the other driver, not Cervantes, was at fault.
With Cervantes’ name cleared, attention has turned to the actions of Sacramento police. On Friday, Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang issued a statement, calling on the department to apologize to Cervantes.
“As a public institution, we must take responsibility when harm is caused, especially to someone who has dedicated their life to public service,” Vang wrote. “If this can happen to a State Senator, imagine how many everyday residents have been harmed similarly, many of whom we may never hear about. We must hold our public servants, especially law enforcement officers, to a higher standard. They are entrusted with the safety and well-being of our communities.”
The Sacramento Police Department has struggled to regain public trust since the fatal shooting of Stephon Clark in 2018. Earlier this year, the city settled a police brutality lawsuit filed by Black Lives Matters protesters. The city agreed to give the plaintiffs $350,000.
Senator Cervantes said the following after the DA’s announcement Friday:
“As I stated from the beginning, I did absolutely nothing wrong and the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office has now affirmed as much. While my name was cleared, this ordeal was entirely unnecessary. It has also caused my family and me enormous stress and pain. No one deserves this."