A Colorado state legislator who recently sponsored a drunk driving bill was arrested on St. Patrick’s Day for drunk driving, according to the Denver Post.
On Thursday, state Rep. Dan Pabon was pulled over around 11:30 p.m. in downtown Denver after making an illegal turn. After the arrest, the legislator was released to a sober person, according to a police affidavit.
Police said Pabon, who failed a roadside sobriety test, smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred. Pabon has since released a statement regarding the arrest: “On the evening of March 17th, I was pulled over by a member of the Denver Police Department. I fully cooperated with the officer’s requests. And I will continue to remain fully cooperative throughout this process. I regret the distress this has caused my family, my friends and my constituents.”
The 38-year-old Democrat, who represents a district in the northern part of Denver, is a lawyer and has been on the state legislature since 2011, where he currently serves as the speaker pro tempore for the Colorado House.
Pabon is also captain of the “beer caucus.” On the day of his arrest, there was a tasting at the governor’s mansion, though it ended by seven in the evening—hours before his arrest. Laura Long, a Colorado Brewers Guild rep, said she didn’t know whether Pabon was at the event, but that she didn’t see anyone leaving drunk. “Everyone was perfectly fine and on their way to dinner,” she told the Post. “It wasn’t a big raging party.” The governor was not at the gathering.
Not long before his drunk driving charge, Pabon was in the news for sponsoring a drunk driving bill in the legislature. The new law, which will require DUI offenders to appear before a victim panel, will take effect in July. “This bill is aimed at reducing drunk driving by increasing opportunities for defendants to appear before a victim impact panel as part of their sentences. Studies show that this type of restorative justice reduces recidivism,” Pabon wrote in a newsletter last month.
The irony was not lost on the Internet. “How many bills to regulate alcohol in Colorado has Democrat Dan Pabon sponsored or co-sponsored?” one Twitter user wrote.
According to the Post, Pabon is expected back in court on April 18 for an arraignment.
