Senator Whitehouse's son pleads no contest to DUI charge

News Team PODCast Reports

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and son, Alexander Whitehouse, outside of court. <Br> Photo | Steve Klamkin

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and son, Alexander Whitehouse, outside of court.
Photo | Steve Klamkin

Senator Whitehouse's son pleads no contest to DUI charge

Posted: 7/27/2012 9:34:44 AM
Updated: 7/27/2012 2:33:30 PM

Escorted by his father, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and mother Sandra, Alexander Whitehouse, 19, appeared in Newport District Court Friday morning to answer to a charge of driving under the influence.

Alexander pled 'no contest' and received a three month loss of license, a $250 fine, mandatory attendance at DUI school, and 30 hours of community service. He is also responsible to pay fees and court costs totaling $760.

Senator Whitehouse read a statement on the courthouse steps saying that his son has accepted responsibility and realizes what he did was wrong. He said that Alexander will now face the family consequences. Whitehouse did not specify what the family consequences were but went on to say, "We hope, as parents who love him, that these serious events provide him a life long lesson."

Alexander Whitehouse was arrested around 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning at a 7-11 gas station in Middletown. According to police, Whitehouse had alcohol in the vehicle and admitted to consuming several shots of gin and a beer prior to operating his vehicle. He failed a field sobriety test and blew a .09 on a breathalyzer test which is slightly above the legal limit of .08.

His passenger, Robert Bauer, 18, was charged with possession of marijuana and consuming and possessing alcohol underage.

More, with WPRO's Steve Klamkin

Alexander Whitehouse, 19, right, appears in District Court in
Newport on Friday, July 27, 2012 with his attorney, Kevin Bristow.
He pleaded no contest to a DUI charge. Pool photo by Frieda
Squires / The Providence Journal

Dee DeQuattro | WPRO News

Video by Steve Klamkin

(7/27/2012 7:55:12 PM)
Lexi why didn't you have Caleb defendyou?
<br />Your dad must have been very very angry - you took him away from all of his insider trading and fund raising in DC

- sfcpete

(7/27/2012 6:12:02 PM)
what about the pot found in the car? how about the pot pipes ...yeah I know, it was the other guys... whose car? whose responsible for whats in the car? did we forget about the pot? guess so ...

- ri4gi

(7/27/2012 5:45:11 PM)
Caleb should take responsibility of what he did. Whitehouse did.

- luigi

(7/27/2012 3:16:25 PM)
I would definately have to say that everyone from now on who gets stopped with a dui will have the same slap on the wrist. it shouldnt matter who your father is. I would definately fight if it was me being stopped and they give me something worse.

- don smith

(7/27/2012 12:57:53 PM)
Obviously the Senator just wanted this over with/to go away. I could have gotten this kid off the DUI charge by dragging it through the system and requiring the state to provide the "witness" in court to swear on what they saw and that the younger Whitehouse was indeed the driver. It was a slam dunk but with the penalty he received, it is a civil infraction and not a criminal one.

- edwoodjr

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