San Antonio Councilman Clayton Perry receives slap on the wrist for drunk driving charge

District 10 City Councilman Clayton Perry on Friday received what many are likely to view as lenient sentencing for the high-profile DWI hit-and-run charge he picked up last year.

County-at-Law No. 6 Judge Erica Dominguez handed Perry a sentence of 12 months of probation and 24 hours of community service in a plea deal, the Express-News reports. She also ordered him to pay $500 in court fees.

Dominguez opted to grant Perry deferred adjudication, meaning the incident won’t appear on his criminal record, according to the daily.

Although prosecutors sought a harsher punishment, Dominguez defended her decision, arguing that most first-time offenders receive deferred adjudication, the Express-News reports.

Perry’s sentencing draws a close to a months-long saga that grabbed both local and national headlines. Authorities accused Perry of consuming 14 drinks at the Evil Olive Bar and crashing his Jeep into a Honda Civic before fleeing the scene.

Although the collision was reported on Nov. 6, the investigating police officer didn’t subject the councilman to a breathalyzer, even after he was discovered rolling around in his backyard, apparently unable to stand.

Perry wasn’t arrested and charged with a DWI until Dec. 28, more than a month after the crash.

“I take full responsibility. I have done everything I can to make this right,” Perry told reporters following his sentencing, according to the Express-News. “I’m following the process, I’ve taken a lot of advice and done a lot of things for this huge mistake. I thank God nobody was hurt, and I’m very thankful for that.”

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This article appears in Apr 5-18, 2023.