Crescent City Councilman-elect David Sedgwick pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of driving under the influence about two months after he was arrested on U.S. 101 south of Wonder Stump Road.
Appearing before Del Norte County Superior Court Judge Karen Olson, Sedgwick was placed on summary probation for three years and was ordered to pay a fine of $1,860. Sedgwick chose to perform community service in lieu of making monthly payments to satisfy the fine.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Olson told Sedgwick that $40 couldn’t be worked off with community service and said that needed to be paid within 180 days. Sedgwick needs to perform at least 10 hours of community service per month starting in January, Olson said.
The judge also ordered Sedgwick to complete the first-offender three-month DUI program.
California Highway Patrol officers arrested Sedgwick at 1:36 a.m. Sept. 7 after he failed a field sobriety test and had an initial blood alcohol level of 0.113% and 0.112%, according to the arrest report.
According to the report, the CHP requested that Sedgwick be charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08% or greater, both misdemeanors. At the hearing on Tuesday, Sedgwick pleaded guilty to the second charge.
On Thursday, Sedgwick told Redwood Voice Community News that he was attending a large house party that “happens on a regular basis” with people who work with local community organizing groups. According to him, the band he is with is typically asked to play at those parties.
“It had already been a long day of events and we were having a great time,” Sedgwick said. “There were a lot of animals there and one of our friend’s animals managed to escape the party and did get hit on South Bank Road. That was the reason I was there extra late and made what definitely contributed to a stupid decision — I was the one to tell them and walk them through that entire grief process.”
Sedgwick said he stayed with his friend “sharing and having drinks.”
“At the end of the night, too, even though I shouldn’t have driven, I made an emotional choice to get home to my own animal who I wanted to see,” he said.
In the arrest report, CHP Sgt. D. Ward said he observed a white Toyota Tacoma later identified as Sedgwick’s vehicle turn on Lake Earl Drive and U.S. 101 southbound from South Bank Road at about 1:04 a.m.
According to Ward, Sedgwick was observed driving at speeds of 63 mph in a 55 mph zone on U.S. 101 south of Lake Earl Drive. Ward said he observed Sedgwick’s vehicle drift onto and over the white solid line at the highway’s edge multiple times and then drift across the yellow center line multiple times. Ward pulled Sedgwick over south of Wonder Stump Road.
According to Ward’s report, Sedgwick said he was returning home from a social gathering on Southbank Road and that he had a few “IPAs” several hours prior to leaving. Ward said he could smell “the distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from Sedgwick’s person/breath.”
Sedgwick was initially transported to Sutter Coast Hospital for a chemical blood test, which verified that Sedgwick’s blood-alcohol content was 0.126%, according to a physical evidence examination report dated Sept. 17.
Following the chemical blood test on Sept. 7, Sedgwick was booked into the Del Norte County Jail.
Sedgwick praised the CHP officers he encountered on Sept. 7, saying they were clear about what was going on and “very nice about giving me double handcuffs.”
“They did their best to walk me through how everything was going to go,” he said. “I was also very conversational and respectful with them, which made a difference in their mind as well. As far as the arrest, it was civil and I was honest with them. I didn’t try to lie or hide or anything and it went from there.”
Sedgwick said he spent about five hours overnight at the Del Norte County Jail. He said he was released from jail at about 7 a.m. with an order to appear in court. Sedgwick also received a stay of license suspension, essentially a temporary driver’s license until the stay was lifted and his license was suspended in October.
“I have a suspension until February, so I’m currently just walking, riding my bike and getting rides when I need them,” he said.
In addition to dealing with his legal issues stemming from the DUI, Sedgwick was also running for one of two four-year seats on the Crescent City Council. He ran alongside appointed incumbent Steve Shamblin and former Del Norte County supervisor Roger Gitlin.
After living in the community for more than eight years, Sedgwick said he wanted to be “helpful in some kind of way,” especially since many of his friends were involved in community service organizations.
Following his arrest, Sedgwick said he avoided responding to comments made on social media and in the public criticizing his actions because he didn’t want to potentially say something incriminating.
“I don’t operate on social media very much at all,” he said. “To me, the risk of stepping in something by engaging with the posts online was greater than the possible reward of setting forth a narrative that would likely be discounted anyway until the process is resolved.”
Sedgwick said he also didn’t want to let the vitriol online discourage him from his intent to do good for the community by seeking public office.
According to the latest election results released Tuesday, out of the three candidates vying for the two seats, Sedgwick came in second with 457 votes out of the 1,271 votes cast for the City Council race.
Shamblin came in first with 491 votes and Gitlin came in last with 323 votes.
Sedgwick said he and Shamblin will take the oath of office on Dec. 3.
Sedgwick said he will also be figuring out how to serve his community service, which will start in January. With his love for animals, the Humane Society or one of the local community shelters may be an option, he said. Sedgwick’s employer, the United Methodist Church of Crescent City, also has a handful of ministries he may be able to get involved with, he said.
