Former Kingsburg City Council member settles misdemeanor DUI case, gets alcohol program
Former Kingsburg Councilmember Jewel Hurtado has settled her 2021 misdemeanor drunk driving case by pleading no contest to one count of DUI with a blood alcohol level of .08% or more, according to court documents.
Hurtado, who chose not to run for re-election last year, was sentenced on Feb. 9 to a three-month alcohol program, six days in the adult offender work program and three-years informal probation.
A speeding ticket and a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol were dismissed, according to court records.
Hurtado was arrested on suspicion of DUI on June 21. She admitted to consuming an alcoholic beverage prior to getting behind the wheel and agreed to take a breath test at the scene, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s report.
At age 20, Hurtado established herself as the lone progressive voice on the conservative five-member Kingsburg City Council, narrowly defeating Staci Smith by only eight votes in 2018.
After the DUI arrest, she issued a public apology and said she planned to donate her monthly city stipend to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD, Fresno).
“I owe my constituents and supporters an apology,” Hurtado said. “I made a mistake and I am sorry.
Earlier this month, Hurtado tweeted that she now resides in Fresno’s Tower District.
This story was originally published February 16, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
