Karen Huger is “disappointed” following guilty verdict in DUI charge; bodycam footage of her arrest made public
Karen Huger was charged with a DUI following a single-head on collision in Maryland in March.
Karen Huger, the charismatic star of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Potomac,” has been found guilty on almost all counts stemming from a DUI charge in Montgomery County, Maryland in March.
A. Scott Bolden, the attorney for Huger, told People magazine they are “disappointed” following the verdict.
“Although we are disappointed in the jury’s verdict, we, of course, respect their decision and appreciate their time hearing our case,” he told the outlet.
“We continue to reserve Mrs. Huger’s right to an appeal and intend to fully pursue justice on her behalf,” he continued. “We appreciate your support and prayers for Mrs. Huger and her family at this time.”
Stemming from a single head-on collision on the evening of March 19 where Huger totaled her white Maserati, the sixty-one-year-old reality TV star was charged with a DUI and DWI, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life, and person, and recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.
She was also charged with failure to control vehicle speed, driving a vehicle in excess of reasonable and prudent speed on the highway, driving a vehicle on the highway with suspended registration, and failure to notify the administration a change of address within 30 days.
Huger’s rep confirmed with People that she was found guilty on all charges except reckless driving. Huger is presently scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 29.
Huger’s two-day long trial opened Tuesday, Dec. 17, with witnesses describing for the jury what they recalled from the scene that night. This included her car allegedly smelling like alcohol, swaying in front of EMTs, and being belligerent and cursing at first responders. According to witnesses, she at one point told EMTs observing her in the ambulance to “go f— themselves” several times before telling a female firefighter, “You’re very beautiful.”
Per, NBC 4 Washington, Bodycam footage from the responding officers was also played for the jury. The footage, uploaded online by Fox 5 Washington DC, featured Huger denying the officers’ claims that she was inebriated and refusing to initially answer questions about the events.
Huger spoke out about the incident a day later in a statement made to TMZ, which initially reported the accident. At the time, Huger, who lost both of her parents within the span of seven months of each other in 2017, said she had been experiencing a wave of grief.
“With the passing of my Beloved Mother, grief comes and goes in waves, and with Mother’s Day approaching it has felt more like a tsunami,” she said.
Huger further explained she had met a girlfriend for dinner when the conversation turned to “some very emotionally sensitive topics.”
According to her, she was crying on her way home when an oncoming car came right at her. She swerved to avoid hitting the vehicle when she hit the divider and then a tree.
“I’m hurt, bruised up a bit, but so grateful I am alive,” she said. She also claimed the car that nearly hit her “just drove away.”
The Real Housewife of Potomac star, known as the “grande dame,” concluded her statement by imploring others to assess their emotional state before getting behind the wheel.
“I would like to stress it’s important to understand your emotional state when driving and may this be a reminder to all to use their seatbelts,” she said. “My mother may be my Guardian Angel, but the seatbelt saved my life.”
Huger could be facing up to two years behind bars. In the state of Maryland, first-time offenders convicted of a DUI face up to a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail. For a second offense, offenders face a $2,000 fine and up to two years in jail.
In 2016, on “The Real Housewives of Potomac,” Huger admitted she pleaded guilty to a prior DWI charge roughly ten years before.
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