Lake Stevens City Councilwoman Suzanne Quigley faces trial this month for alleged drunken driving.
Quigley, a community activist appointed to the council in January, was stopped by a Washington State Patrol officer about 2 a.m. March 18 on Highway 204 near Lake Stevens, according to the police report.
Her blood-alcohol level was recorded at .10. The legal limit in Washington state is .08.
“I’m full of regret for my bad judgment,” said Quigley, who turns 46 on Monday. “I learned a really hard, good lesson, and this has been very jarring to me, because nothing like this has ever happened before.”
She pleaded not guilty during an April 2 appearance in Evergreen District Court in Monroe. Quigley’s attorney, Ray Secoy of Everett, said the plea was to give him a chance to review the evidence.
“I don’t know of any attorney out there who would go in and plead their client guilty without at least looking at the case,” he said.
Secoy did not rule out a change in plea. Quigley’s trial is scheduled for June 20.
Quigley said she and her husband had dinner and drinks with friends at a Seattle restaurant on St. Patrick’s Day. Quigley’s husband, Kevin Quigley, is a former state senator.
She said she stopped drinking four hours before leaving for home.
“I thought four hours was enough, but misjudged it,” Quigley said.
She said she drifted into another lane while going up the hill on Highway 204 toward Lake Stevens and was stopped.
Quigley has already attended a DUI victims’ panel, in which those affected by drunken driving cases tell their stories.
“It’s been a very devastating experience for me,” she said.
Quigley could face at least one day in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 if convicted as charged.
She has lived in the Frontier Village area on the west side of Lake Stevens for about 20 years and contributed to the effort to annex her neighborhood to the city.
Quigley, who has four children, has been active in several community-oriented, school and civic causes. She was named the 2006 Greater Lake Stevens Chamber of Commerce citizen of the year and in 2005 she helped lead a successful effort to pass a school levy.
Quigley has said she plans to run for election this fall to keep her council seat.
Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.
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