Paul Pelosi did not appear in a Napa County courtroom Friday for his first court date on a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge, with his attorney entering a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Paul Pelosi, the 86-year-old husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was a no-show for his first court appearance in Napa County on Friday, with his attorney entering a not guilty plea on his behalf to a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge. The case stems from a July 3 crash in Yountville, California, where prosecutors say Pelosi struck a parked car and drove off without leaving his information. The arraignment came roughly a month after the Napa County District Attorney's Office formally filed charges against him.
Attorney Amanda Bevins appeared in Napa County Superior Court on Pelosi's behalf and entered not guilty pleas to all counts, including an infraction for an unlawful turning movement. Under California law, defendants facing misdemeanor charges are permitted to appear through legal counsel rather than attending in person.
Pelosi faces one misdemeanor count of failing to stop and provide information after a collision involving property damage. The charge carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine or six months in county jail, or both.
Napa County sheriff's deputies responded around 2:30 p.m. on July 3 to the 6700 block of Yount Street after a witness reported seeing a vehicle rear-end a parked car and push its right tire onto the curb. According to the criminal complaint, Pelosi was driving a burgundy Maserati convertible when he struck and damaged a parked Tesla before leaving the scene without attempting to identify the owner or provide the information required under California law.
Deputies later located Pelosi roughly half a mile away. He allegedly told officers he had intended to return to the crash site, and that he knew he had hit something but did not know what, so he kept driving until his vehicle became disabled. No one was injured in the collision, alcohol was not considered a factor, and Pelosi was not arrested.
This is not Pelosi's first brush with the law in Napa County. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DUI charge stemming from a crash in the same county, a case that landed him a five-day jail sentence, probation, and thousands of dollars in restitution and fines. He ultimately served two days in custody.
The new case adds another chapter for one of the most prominent political families in the country. Nancy Pelosi continues to serve in Congress, and every legal entanglement involving her husband draws outsized attention from a press that has long treated the couple with kid gloves.
Pelosi's next court appearance is scheduled for August 26, when the case is set for a settlement conference. The Napa County District Attorney's Office has said it will not release additional information while the case is pending, and body camera footage related to the crash remains confidential for now.
The question heading into that conference is whether the case resolves quickly or drags into a trial. For a defendant with Pelosi's money and legal firepower, many Californians will be watching to see whether the outcome looks anything like the one an ordinary driver would get for the same offense.
Paul Pelosi did not appear in a Napa County courtroom Friday for his first court date on a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge, with his attorney entering a not guilty plea on his behalf.
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