Rhode Island Democrat lawmaker arrested for DUI ordered to install car breathalyzer
Rep. Enrique Sanchez, a progressive Democrat who serves in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, was pulled over in the early morning hours of Feb. 3 after allegedly parking in an intersection.
Bodycam footage of the traffic stop that led to his arrest shows Sanchez offering the police officer a red debit card in lieu of his driver's license before telling her that he had not had anything to drink.
The footage shows Sanchez stuffing his hands in his pockets repeatedly, despite repeated orders from one police officer to remove his hands from his pockets.
"How much you drink?" one of the other officers at the scene asked Sanchez. "You reak of booze, just be honest. You smell like alcohol."
When an officer asked Sanchez if he would take a field sobriety test, he asked if he could order an Uber if he refused. An officer told him he would not be able to order an Uber, and he refused to take a field sobriety test at the scene.
In an initial court appearance on the day of his arrest, Sanchez pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated, and has since pleaded not guilty to lesser civil charges of refusing a chemical test and failure to obey traffic control devices.
Court records show that on Feb. 19, Sanchez's license was suspended by Cranston Magistrate William Noonan. However, he was granted a hardship license that allows him to drive to and from his day job and the State House to perform his legislative duties between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on the condition that he install an ignition interlock breathalyzer in his vehicle.
In a brief pre-trial conference on Feb. 24, the case was moved from district court to the state's Superior Court.
Sanchez's arrest has drawn calls for his resignation. On Feb. 10, he addressed the arrest in an X thread after a week of silence.
In the thread, he noted that he was thankful to his constituents for their patience, and explained his passion for his work and the people of the state of Rhode Island.
He did not apologize and instead said, "I will not let my personal actions become a distraction from the issues that truly matter – the families, businesses, and concerns of my community."
"Sometimes, we are too close to something to fully see our place in it," he said. "This experience has given me a renewed clarity about my responsibilities – not just in this chamber, but in the trust my community has placed in me. I take that trust seriously and will continue to work hard every day of my life."
Sanchez's attorney is former Rhode Island House Speaker John Harwood.
In 2023, Sanchez filed RI H5461, a bill to give illegal immigrants the right to vote in the state.
READ THE BILL: MOBILE USERS CLICK HERE
The bill was tabled for further study a month after it was introduced.
Fox News Digital reached out to Sanchez and Harwood for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former NM Cabinet secretary Sonya Smith joins secretary of state race
Aug. 1—SANTA FE — A former Cabinet secretary in Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration has entered New Mexico's secretary of state race, setting the stage for a three-way Democratic primary next year. Sonya Smith, who led the state's Department of Veteran Services, announced her candidacy for secretary of state this week. She joins fellow Democrats Amanda López Askin, the Doña Ana County clerk, and Katherine Clark, the Santa Fe County clerk, in the race to succeed current Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver. Toulouse Oliver has been New Mexico's top elections official since 2016 but is barred under the state Constitution from seeking a third consecutive four-year term. Smith, a former U.S. Air Force and Gulf War veteran, was nominated in January 2021 by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to lead the Department of Veterans Services. Before that, she had worked in the state Department of Health, coordinating COVID-19 testing. After nearly two years on the job, Smith stepped down from her Cabinet-level post in November 2022 to be closer to her family. She said Friday she would work to build on Toulouse Oliver's record if elected, while also expanding voter education efforts across New Mexico. "It is a need and desire to protect our vote; that's what I'm running on," Smith told the Journal. She also said she planned to target independent voters — along with registered Democrats — in the run-up to the June 2026 primary election. The election will be the first in modern state history in which independent voters are allowed to vote without having to change their party affiliation, under legislation signed into law this year by Lujan Grisham. If her election bid is successful, Smith would become the first African American elected secretary of state in New Mexico. She acknowledged Friday she does not have experience running elections but said her leadership skills and connections made with veterans statewide could be assets on the campaign trail. All New Mexico statewide offices will be on the ballot next year, including governor, attorney general and secretary of state. No Republican candidate has, as of yet, announced a campaign for next year's secretary of state contest. The last GOP candidate to win election as New Mexico secretary of state was Dianna Duran in 2012. Duran resigned from office in 2015 while being investigated for using campaign contributions to pay for a gambling habit. New Mexico's primary election is scheduled for June 2, 2026, with the general election set for Nov. 3.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Senate confirms Trump's pick to oversee higher ed, a man tied to for-profit colleges
The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's pick to oversee higher education policy, a man with deep ties to the for-profit college industry, by a 50-to-45 vote on August 1. Senate Majority John Thune filed cloture on Kent's nomination earlier in the week. And the education committee had already advanced Kent on a 12-11 vote without a hearing in late May. The undersecretary at the Department of Education oversees billions in federal financial aid and is charged with ensuring America's colleges provide a quality education. Education Secretary Linda McMahon had previously told USA TODAY that Kent is a 'natural leader' whose experience and concern for students 'make him the ideal selection for under secretary of education." He had won the support of several prominent university trade groups who are opposed to Trump's attacks on universities, but said they supported Kent's nomination. His confirmation comes as the Trump administration seeks to reshape higher education and has launched numerous investigations into high profile universities. Kent had already been working at the agency on the administration's initiatives like K-12 school choice. But prior to working in the government, Kent had a long history working for or close to for-profit colleges. From 2008 to the end of 2015, Kent worked for Education Affiliates, a for-profit college company. When he left, he was a vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs. In 2015, the Department of Justice announced the company had agreed to a $13 million settlement to settle accusations it had gamed the federal financial aid system. The company told USA TODAY Kent was not involved in the settlement or the allegations of fraud. Critics, including student advocacy groups and teacher unions, had called on the Senate education committee to put Kent through a public hearing to answer questions about his time working for the company. And one of the original whistleblowers tied to that case, Dorothy Thomas, expressed concern about someone from the company's leadership holding the under secretary position. Kent had also worked for Career Education Colleges and Universities, a for-profit college trade group. He developed a reputation for deep policy knowledge while speaking against regulations geared toward the for-profit college industry. That group's CEO, Jason Altmire, said Kent was not driven by partisan politics and would bring an unbiased view to the under secretary position. He then went to work for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration as a deputy secretary of education. Youngkin, in a prepared statement, said Kent improved how Virginia manages colleges and made them more accountable to students and families through increased transparency. Chair of the Virginia Senate's education committee, Democrat Ghazala Hashmi, told USA TODAY Kent had tried to destabilize accreditation in the state and he was aligned with efforts to dismantle consumer protections. In a departing message to the commonwealth, Kent said he was proud of reducing costs while pushing for free speech and accountability at Virginia's colleges. Chris Quintana is an investigative reporter at USA TODAY. He can be reached at cquintana@ or via Signal at 202-308-9021. He is on X at @CQuintanaDC
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
What you need to know about Uber's new emergency policies
Uber Canada says it's changing its emergency policies after a driver drove off with a sleeping child. CBC's Farrah Merali has details on the incident — and breaks down what people need to know about the company's changes.
