Latest news with #SacramentoCountyDistrictAttorney'sOffice
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Sacramento police must apologize for harming a California state senator
The Sacramento Police Department wrongfully detained a California Senator after she was the victim of a traffic accident, claiming she was showing 'objective signs of intoxication.' Yet Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside, maintained her innocence. And with the release of a toxicology report on Friday by the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, her name and record have officially been cleared. Now, the Sacramento Police Department and its chief, Kathy Lester, owe the legislator a public apology. Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang released a strong statement on Friday in support of Cervantes and also urged the city's police department to publicly apologize. 'As a public institution, we must take responsibility when harm is caused, especially to someone who has dedicated their life to public service,' Vang wrote in a statement. 'A sincere apology is the first step toward accountability and rebuilding trust with our community.' Unfortunately, Cervantes is unlikely to receive an apology. I know this because I also deserved an apology after the Sacramento Police Department handcuffed and attempted to detain me while I was reporting on a protest inside City Council chambers last March, despite my First Amendment and state-given rights to be present inside the room. Not only did an apology never come from the police, but it took more than six months before any representative from the department would even sit down with someone from The Bee to discuss it privately. Even then, police officials only wanted to meet with my editor, not with me. So this incident is deeply unsurprising. The Sacramento Police Department has a history of abusing its power. From the 2018 killing of an unarmed Stephon Clark, to their behavior at the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 for which they are being sued, to Cervantes' detention on May 19 of this year, how are Sacramentans expected to hold any trust in their police? 'If this can happen to a State Senator, imagine how many everyday residents have been harmed similarly, many of whom we may never hear about,' Vang said. 'We must hold our public servants, especially law enforcement officers, to a higher standard. They are entrusted with the safety and well-being of our communities.' Perhaps the worst and most degrading aspect of this is that it's not inconceivable that Cervantes' ethnicity and gender had something to do with the police's suspicions that day, even though she was the victim of a sideswipe and in the hospital being checked for injury when the detention occurred. She was a victim and yet she was treated as a suspect. Still, Chief Lester will be holding out her hand for millions more in her department's budget next year at the next council meeting on June 10, just as the city tries to climb out of its $44 million deficit — and every other department has willingly offered cuts. Every child knows that when you are in the wrong, you apologize. There can be no reasonable excuse or delay from the SPD now.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
SoCal legislator accused of DUI in Sacramento was sober, prosecutors say
No charges will be filed against the California state senator from Riverside who was accused of driving while intoxicated. Sabrina Cervantes, a Democrat who represents Senate District 31, was cited for driving under the influence on May 19 after she went to a local hospital following a crash in Sacramento. At the hospital, Cervantes showed signs of intoxication, police said, though she claimed the officers 'accosted' her. Cervantes denied being under the influence, and on Friday, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office backed up her claim and declined to file charges. 'The toxicology results were negative for any measurable amount of alcohol or drugs,' the DA's Office said in a statement. 'We have reviewed of all the submitted evidence, including police reports, witness statements, and laboratory results. Based on our ethical duty and the burden of proof in a criminal trial, the Sacramento County DA's Office declines to file any charges in this case.' Cervantes had not yet publicly commented on prosecutors' announcement before publication, but police issued a statement to KTLA's Capitol correspondent Eytan Wallace to 'provide clarity while maintaining transparency and respect for all involved.' The statement defended officers' actions and explained that Cervantes declined to take a field sobriety test, though it also acknowledged the controversial nature of the incident. 'The Sacramento Police Department has received numerous public records requests about this incident,' the statement said. 'We will be releasing responsive documents today on the initial requests and will process the remaining requests as soon as possible.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cervantes' toxicology report shows no measurable amount of drugs, alcohol
( — The toxicology results for Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) were 'negative for any measurable amount of alcohol or drugs,' according to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office. Video Above: State Senator Sabrina Cervantes speaks out on DUI allegations Cervantes was cited in Sacramento last Monday for suspicion of DUI after being involved in a car crash. 'We have reviewed all the submitted evidence, including police reports, witness statements, and laboratory results,' office officials said. ' Based on our ethical duty and the burden of proof in a criminal trial, the Sacramento County DA's Office declines to file any charges in this case.' Cervantes made a statement after the allegations, claiming her innocence and accusing Sacramento Police Department officers of accosting her. The Public Information Officer for SPD claims there were no indications Cervantes was accosted after reviewing officers' body camera footage. In a statement released by SPD, officials claim that Cervantes declined to perform a Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, after officers observed signs of intoxication from the senator. She then agreed to voluntarily provide a blood sample, however, the warrant was already underway. FOX40 is awaiting to receive a statement from Cervantes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
California Democrat will not face DUI charges after negative drug test
SACRAMENTO, California — State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes will not face DUI charges stemming from a Sacramento collision after a drug test showed the lawmaker was not intoxicated at the time of the incident. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office on Friday announced a blood test the Riverside County Democrat took on the day she was involved in an accident near the Capitol was "negative for any measurable amount of alcohol or drugs." "We have reviewed of all the submitted evidence, including police reports, witness statements, and laboratory results," the DA's office wrote in a statement. "Based on our ethical duty and the burden of proof in a criminal trial, the Sacramento County DA's Office declines to file any charges in this case." Sacramento police cited Cervantes with a DUI after she went to the hospital following the collision on the afternoon of May 19. She strongly denied she was intoxicated, saying police "accosted" her at the hospital. Police later said they suspected the senator was under the influence of drugs, not alcohol, when they cited her. Cervantes produced the results of her own urine test taken the day after the collision that showed she had undetectable levels of drugs in her system. The DA's office previously said prosecutors were waiting for the results of the blood test to determine whether to charge the senator.
Politico
4 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
California Democrat will not face DUI charges after negative drug test
SACRAMENTO, California — State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes will not face DUI charges stemming from a Sacramento collision after a drug test showed the lawmaker was not intoxicated at the time of the incident. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office on Friday announced a blood test the Riverside County Democrat took on the day she was involved in an accident near the Capitol was 'negative for any measurable amount of alcohol or drugs.' 'We have reviewed of all the submitted evidence, including police reports, witness statements, and laboratory results,' the DA's office wrote in a statement. 'Based on our ethical duty and the burden of proof in a criminal trial, the Sacramento County DA's Office declines to file any charges in this case.' Sacramento police cited Cervantes with a DUI after she went to the hospital following the collision on the afternoon of May 19. She strongly denied she was intoxicated, saying police 'accosted' her at the hospital. Police later said they suspected the senator was under the influence of drugs, not alcohol, when they cited her. Cervantes produced the results of her own urine test taken the day after the collision that showed she had undetectable levels of drugs in her system. The DA's office previously said prosecutors were waiting for the results of the blood test to determine whether to charge the senator.
