Karen Huger Served Stiff Sentence for Her Fourth DUI

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Karen Huger, a star on the show “Real Housewives of Potomac,” was put behind bars for a year due to her fourth DUI conviction, which occurred on February 26. In a desperate attempt to dodge prison time at the last moment, Huger, with her hair falling loose around her face and wearing a black coat, made an appeal. However, Judge Terrence McGann of Montgomery County Circuit Court wasn’t persuaded. “Karen Huger is not new to driving under the influence on our public roads,” McGann said. “One might have thought that Ms. Huger would have learned her lesson in 2007,” he added, but before the ink had dried on her first DUI arrest, she was taken into custody again. (Despite her previous three arrests, Huger served no jail time.) “Karen Huger seemed to be quite skilled at navigating the system and all prior warnings seemed to have gone unheeded,” McGann continued. “Can we truly believe that she has only driven while intoxicated four times in the last 17 years?

McGann stated, ‘Can we be sure she wasn’t driving under the influence?’ Regrettably, there’s no way to assure that.

In the Montgomery County Circuit Court, Huger received a sentence: two years in prison with one year deferred, five years of supervised probation, and a fine amounting to $2,900. The judge stipulated that upon her release from prison, she would be barred from driving for a year, and throughout her probation, she must operate a vehicle equipped with an ignition interlock device. The courtroom was filled to capacity, necessitating additional chairs to accommodate those standing in the back who could now sit in the aisles. Huger’s husband, Raymond, along with their children Rayvin and Brandon, attended the hearing to show their support.

Prior to the sentence being declared, Huger pleaded with the judge for leniency. “I had to confront my own flaws,” she stated. “There was a feeling of privilege within me that allowed me to continue drinking alcohol: I’ve achieved success. Why should I stop this luxury?” Huger also expressed her gratitude for only striking a tree: “Thank goodness I didn’t hit anyone instead.

Initially, Huger denied guilt following a traffic stop on March 19, 2024, but a jury declared her guilty in December. During sentencing, she expressed regret towards the officers who stopped her, acknowledging her unprofessional behavior as depicted in viral body-cam footage of her arrest.

“The body cameras definitely proves [sic] that they were right and I was wrong,” Huger said.

The celebrity admitted that attending Alcoholics Anonymous would be a permanent part of her existence, assuring the judge, “Your honor, I promise not to disappoint you.” However, Judge McGann remained unconvinced. Before announcing his verdict, he highlighted that Huger had refused to undergo field sobriety tests or Breathalyzer exams and had consumed such large amounts of alcohol that she drove at an excessive speed as she entered a tranquil Potomac neighborhood. The judge explained that the crash’s impact was catastrophic, causing severe damage to Huger’s Mazda. He added that Huger appeared to be in a drunken state, her speech was slurred, and she kept talking incessantly while being taken to and at the police station. The judge stressed that Huger seemed to have failed to learn from her past DUI-related convictions in 2006, 2008, and 2010.

David Martella, Huger’s lawyer, stated that she does indeed have a prior history,” he explained. “However, this isn’t your typical first-time offense.

In an attempt to sway the court before sentencing, Martella contended that Huger was taking this conviction earnestly and had been seeking help for her struggles with alcohol and prescribed medications, particularly her antidepressants, and depression stemming from being a rape victim while studying at the University of Virginia. He explained that she spent 31 days at the BeachSide Recovery Center in Palm Beach undergoing withdrawal, and has also actively engaged in AA meetings. Moreover, he noted that she had completed a weekend Right Turn recovery program. Martella pleaded with the judge to impose a sentence of home confinement, stating that Huger would maintain her sobriety even within her own residence.

Ray, often referred to as “the Black Bill Gates”, stated that his wife, Huger, had remained sober since the accident and subsequent arrest. In a plea for leniency, Ray spoke up. However, the prosecutor, Jordan Kramer, argued that Huger required a harsher penalty for her fourth DUI offense. “This is a pattern,” Kramer emphasized. “This isn’t Huger’s second chance; this is Huger’s fourth. By the time you reach your fourth DUI offense, there should be some level of punishment.

Following the verdict, Martella shared with the media that “Ms. Huger expressed contentment with the outcome. She’s relieved that this chapter has come to a close and feels healthier than she has in quite some time.

Martella would not say if he plans to appeal the conviction.

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2025-02-26 22:54