Hearing on Probation Charge for Ex-State Energy Official Delayed

After allegedly violating his probation on a Ventura County drunk-driving charge, former state Energy Commissioner Charles Imbrecht has admitted himself into an alcohol abuse treatment center, his attorney said Tuesday.

Imbrecht, 48, was scheduled to appear in Ventura County Municipal Court on Tuesday morning for a hearing on the matter.

But his Westlake Village lawyer, William Tomasi, told a judge that Imbrecht was unable to appear because he is housed in a residential treatment center near his home in Sacramento.

The hearing was postponed until Nov. 17. Imbrecht has pleaded not guilty to the probation-violation charge.

Outside the courtroom, Tomasi told reporters that Imbrecht had voluntarily enrolled himself into the GullHaven treatment program in early September, shortly after he was allegedly found in violation of his probation for having alcohol on his breath.

The incident occurred when probation officials made an unannounced visit while Imbrecht was visiting his parents at their Ventura home.

“The best thing he can do is seek help,” Tomasi said. “This whole thing has destroyed his family, his career--everything. And he is trying to put his life back on track.”

Imbrecht, a former Ventura resident, was arrested Dec. 7, 1996, after Ventura County sheriff’s deputies observed his car weaving on a Ventura street and smelled alcohol on his breath. Authorities also said they found a small amount marijuana in his pocket.

A blood sample taken at a local hospital that night showed Imbrecht’s alcohol level to be 0.33, which is about four times the legal limit for driving, authorities said.

Within weeks, Imbrecht resigned as chairman of the California Energy Commission after serving nearly 14 years.

Also in January, prosecutors filed misdemeanor charges against Imbrecht for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while having a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or higher, and for possessing marijuana in a car.

Imbrecht pleaded guilty to the charges and served a month in jail. He was also placed on probation, with terms requiring he not drink or possess any alcoholic beverages.

Imbrecht violated those terms earlier this year when he was caught in Sacramento purchasing alcohol, Tomasi said.

According to court records, Imbrecht’s troubles with drinking and driving have not been limited to the Ventura County incidents.

In 1995 he pleaded no contest to driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or higher after being arrested by Grass Valley police, according to Nevada County court records. Nevada County is in Northern California, northeast of Sacramento.

For that offense, Imbrecht was sentenced to three years’ probation, two days in jail and ordered to attend a class on the dangers of drinking and driving.

Before he took his post as head of the state’s Energy Commission, Imbrecht, a lawyer, served as a member of the Assembly from 1976-82, representing a portion of Ventura County.

As chairman of the Energy Commission, Imbrecht was in part responsible for overseeing the licensing of power plants and the development of renewable resources.