Texas State Senator Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) was arrested in the wee hours of Tuesday morning and charged with driving while intoxicated. He was booked into the Travis County jail at 2:12 AM and has since been released on a personal recognizance bond.
“I’m deeply sorry, apologetic to my citizens and my family. I made a mistake,” Schwertner told reporters upon his release.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who presides over the Texas Senate, released a statement following the arrest:
”Early yesterday morning I was informed by my staff of the DWI arrest of Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown. This is the second time in two sessions a member of the legislature has been arrested for DWI.
“There is zero excuse for driving under the influence and putting lives in danger, in particular by a member of the legislature whose conduct should be held to a higher standard.
“I will await the final outcome of this issue in court before making any further statement on the matter.”
Schwertner is far from the first Texas state legislator to be arrested for having too much to drink before getting behind the wheel. Former State Representative Dan Huberty was arrested after crashing his car in Montgomery County and failing to pass a sobriety test. Democratic State Rep. Victoria Neave plead no contest to DWI charges in 2017.
Schwertner hails from Williamson County and represents a district spanning much of central-east Texas, from the Austin suburbs in the west to Huntsville in the east.
Texas Citizen Journal 