Archbishop elect of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, was arrested on August 25 for DUI. Apparently, the archbishop was driving home in San Diego after having dinner with his mother and fellow priest when he came upon a DUI checkpoint. When officers tested the archbishop through a sobriety test, they found that his blood alcohol content level was beyond the legal limit but did not say by how much. The soon to be archbishop in San Francisco immediately apologized for his decision to drive drunk and stated “I apologize for my error in judgment and feel shame for the disgrace I have brought upon the Church and myself“.
Archbishop Cordileone was stopped at the checkpoint around 12:30 in the morning on Saturday and released around noon the following morning after posting a $2,500 bond. The arresting officer noted that the archbishop was not at all a belligerent drunk but actually very cooperative and polite. Officer McCullough stated that, “He was a driver that was obviously impaired but he was quite cordial and polite throughout.” It is unclear as of now if Cordileone will be disciplined by the Vatican, however, many people involved in the church believe that this incident will not have much of an effect on his duties in San Francisco and he is not expected to resign. Although, if the archbishop had a history of alcohol abuse or this was not his first DUI incident, the response from the Vatican could be a lot more harsh.
If you or someone you know has been arrested for drinking and driving, call an experienced California DUI attorney for legal assistance.
