Commentary on “Another Drunk Driving TX Official Caught”

Since her initial arrest and booking on April 12^th, 2013, Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg has pleaded guilty to the DWI charge.  Lehmberg has served the full sentence, which was actually shortened in half due to the “good behavior” law, and is expected to be released from jail this week.  But how does this alarming incident reflect on the Texas justice system and our faith in elected officials?

I fully agree with your post that Lehmberg has failed the public and jeopardized our trust for elected officials.  As a powerful D.A., she has prosecuted many offenders of the same crime she committed, which comes off as completely hypocritical.  We expect that the officials we elect will act appropriately and we hold them to the same standards as the rest of the public.  That being said, we constantly see exceptions to this standard.  She knew that her action of getting behind the wheel while intoxicated was illegal, yet she chose to do it regardless.  Many people with power often bypass restrictions and the penalties they receive are much smaller than they would normally be.  This preferential treatment needs to end in order to restore public trust.

Although she has refused to resign, Lehmberg has taken all the necessary steps to rebound from this mistake.  She has made a public apology, she has served her jail sentence, which was about average for the crime that was committed, and she has paid all of the necessary fines.  Additionally, she made a statement saying that she will not be seeking re-election, most likely a wise decision.  I think that her cooperation in this process is beneficial, but ultimately it will be some time until she regains the support and trust she originally had.