Kerry Kennedy, daughter of late senator Robert F. Kennedy, was acquitted of charges of driving while intoxicated (similar to California’s DUI charges) earlier this morning in a New York courtroom. Jurors spent just over an hour deliberating the facts before delivering their verdict.
Kennedy was found collapsed over the steering wheel of her vehicle after swerving and sideswiping a tractor-trailer on a New York interstate highway back in July, 2012.
According to testimony, Kennedy took a pill that she thought was thyroid medication, but instead may have been a powerful sleep aid, Zolpidem, known under the popular brand name Ambien. A blood test confirmed that Zolpidem was in her system shortly after the accident.
Her defense attorney suggested the case was brought against Kennedy because of her name, although the Westchester County District Attorney’s office rebutted that this case was treated no differently than the 2,500 similar cases they prosecute annually.
If you or a loved one are charged with DWI or DUI, call Orange County criminal lawyer Staycie R. Sena immediately at (949) 477-8088.