VENTURA : Councilman Admits to Drunk Driving
Ventura City Councilman James Monahan admitted to drunk-driving charges in Ventura County Municipal Court on Monday and was sentenced to five days work release, three years probation and a $1,255 fine.
Monahan, who was out of town on city business, entered a plea of no contest through his attorney, admitting one count of driving with a blood-alcohol content of greater than 0.08%, the legal limit. Defense attorney James M. Farley said Monahan will arrange to report for his work release duty upon returning later this week.
In work release, the person stays at home and reports to a public-works job overseen by the county.
Farley said prosecutors dropped remaining charges of driving under the influence and driving without insurance after he entered the plea for Monahan and produced documents to show that Monahan was insured at the time of the arrest.
Monahan was arrested at 1:28 a.m. Oct. 24 while driving south on the Ventura Freeway near South Rose Avenue after a California Highway Patrol officer noticed that the councilman’s 1984 Cadillac was weaving between the right lane and the shoulder.
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