Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidate AJ Richardson Waives DUI Hearing

AJ Richardson, a mayoral candidate in Pittsburgh was arrested for DUI on April 3, 2013 and has chosen to waive his preliminary DUI hearing. Richardson initially told reporters that he intends to plead guilty to the DUI charge, in addition to a charge of driving without valid registration. Now, when asked if he still intends to do so, he has deferred all legal questions to his attorney and said, “I don’t want to comment on that“. In response to entering a guilty plea, his attorney said while AJ Richardson wants to take responsibility for his actions but they are still looking at all options.

With regard to accountability, Richardson also told reporters “I’m a leader, I made a mistake, and I acknowledge that. Most leaders don’t even take accountability for their own errors. I did that, and that says something, and that’s the type of leadership we need in the next mayor, and that’s the type of leadership that’s in A.J. Richardson“. According to police, Richardson failed several field sobriety tests the night of his arrest and became verbally abusive, lashing out at officers and saying that they should “have some back bone and be a voice for the black people“. Richardson now denies having made those comments, calling them ugly and not representative of him. The mayoral candidate said pleading guilty was the honorable thing to do but shouldn’t disqualify someone from being mayor. AJ Richardson is set to appear in court for a formal arraignment on May 29, 2013.

If you have been arrested for driving drunk, contact an experienced and skilled Pennsylvania DUI attorney for legal assistance.