Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff (Pct. 3) held a brief press conference at the Bexar County Courthouse to apologize for a bizarre Sunday 3 a.m. incident in which he left his home dressed only in boxer shorts and drove to a Northside Whataburger where he rear-ended two vehicles in the drive-through lane before police were called and arrested him on a charge of driving while intoxicated.
Wolff failed a field sobriety test, and refused to take a breathalyzer test, according to the initial police report. After his arrest a mandatory blood sample was taken by authorities. Wolff said he was told the results are not expected for six to eight weeks.
Wolff, 51, read a prepared statement at the Wednesday courthouse event, but did not distribute copies to the media. He told reporters that he had mixed alcohol with antidepressant medication, the prescription sleeping aid Ambien, and blood pressure medicine that night and had little or no memory of the incident. He said that he has taken some of these medications for approximately five or six years.
Wolff was accompanied by his wife, Sandi, who stood by his side during his remarks and hugged him afterwards. There were no other officials from Bexar County in attendance.
“I want to express my sincere apologies to my wife, daughter, colleagues on the Commissioners Court, and my constituents,” Wolff said. “It is that open-book policy that has led me here today to take responsibility for my action and to admit that I screwed up, and for that, I am very sorry.
“I had no intention of leaving my house Saturday night. I was at home with my family, and I have no memory of leaving my house,” Wolff said. “I am not proud of my behavior, nor do I condone it.”
When Wolff was arrested, he was barefoot and wearing only boxer shorts. He was released Sunday shortly after 10 a.m. on a $1,000 bond.
A DWI is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000. A first-time offender typically is fined and required to seek counseling and do community service.
Wolff acknowledged that he should have not been behind the wheel and that he is thankful no one was injured.
“I will be filing a plea of no contest and will let the normal judicial system take its course,” Wolff said. “I will take any step necessary to ensure this never happens again.”
District Attorney Nicholas “Nico” LaHood said Monday that he will not ask for a special prosecutor to review the case. Wolff and LaHood have been at odds over a perceived conflict of interest going back several months.
Wolff, a U.S. Navy veteran, first won elected office in 2005 as the District 9 City Council representative. He served two terms and then ran for County Commissioner in 2008. He was re-elected in 2012, and faces a Democratic opponent in the Nov. 8, 2016 General Election. He is the only Republican on Commissioners Court.
Wolff said that he does not plan to resign from Commissioners Court.
“If I thought that it was going to impede my ability to do this job to represent the people who elected me, then I would absolutely resign,” Wolff said. “I believe in my heart of hearts that it will not affect my ability to do this job.”
Wolff said he spoke to his father, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, on Tuesday, who told him to take responsibility for his actions.
“He advised me to do what he has always advised me to do: ‘Take responsibility for your actions.’”
Wolff did not make himself available for individual interviews afterward.
Top image: Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff addresses the media following his DWI arrest. Photo by Scott Ball.
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Leaving your house in a blackout because you drank too much is an indicator of problems with alcohol that require serious intervention. It’s not indicative of poor job performance, though that could be, what with the debilitating effects of hangovers and guilt. And, I’ve yet to see an incident like this where the arrestee didn’t cite a mixing of prescription drugs with alcohol. I think attorneys may recommend stating this because it somehow mitigates the crazy behavior, I don’t really know. Mr. Wolff may be a good leader; a pillar of the community; a great guy personally; but this is his wakeup call for a serious look at the addiction disease of alcoholism. Good luck to him.
What did he order and did he ‘super size’ the drink and fries?