Steinberg Enters Plea of Not Guilty to DUI

Sports agent Leigh Steinberg, whose blood-alcohol level tested at 0.20 following his arrest after a minor traffic accident last month, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor drunk driving charge.

Neither Steinberg nor his attorney, Ron Brower, were present at Municipal Court in Newport Beach. The plea was entered by telephone, according to City News Service.

Steinberg was charged with driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level in excess of 0.08, the legal limit. He is free on $1,400 bond. Commissioner Richard L. Frederickson set a pretrial hearing for Nov. 14.

Steinberg’s Mercedes-Benz rear-ended another car Sept. 7 on West Coast Highway in Newport Beach, where he lives. He was arrested at the scene, given a blood-alcohol test and released on bail.

Steinberg, 47, represents a number of high-profile sports figures, including quarterbacks Troy Aikman of the Dallas Cowboys and Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers. He also recently signed gymnast Kerri Strug, one of the biggest names to emerge from the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Steinberg also led a campaign last year to block the move by the then-Los Angeles Rams from Anaheim to St. Louis.

Following his arrest, Steinberg wrote in a letter to The Times that he “did not act as a role model should. While attending a charity fund-raiser for a client in Newport Beach, I consumed alcohol and proceeded to drive myself home. I am aware of the dangers of drinking and driving and should have never gotten behind the wheel. Thankfully, no one was injured.”