Now that Councilman Charles Morales has reaffirmed his unwise
decision to retain his City Council seat, despite pleading guilty
on Nov. 13 to another charge of driving under the influence of
alcohol, it’s appropriate for a sober and, hopefully, final review
of the facts.
Now that Councilman Charles Morales has reaffirmed his unwise decision to retain his City Council seat, despite pleading guilty on Nov. 13 to another charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, it’s appropriate for a sober and, hopefully, final review of the facts.
Morales was arrested on June 29 on Highway 25 near the San Benito-Santa Clara county line by a California Highway Patrol officer who observed him driving erratically. After failing a field sobriety test, a breathalyzer test was administered. Morales’ blood alcohol level, according to CHP tests, was .23 percent, nearly triple the state’s legal limit of .08 percent.
According to a CHP spokesman at the time, a person of Morales’ size would have to consume four to eight drinks in one hour to attain that level of alcohol in his or her bloodstream.
Last month’s court hearing was not Morales’ first drunk driving conviction – rather, it was at least his third. Morales was still on probation for a 1999 drunk driving conviction in Santa Clara County when he was arrested this year.
Morales hired a DUI defense attorney who knew how to “work the system” to his client’s full advantage. He used delaying tactics, insisting on private retests of Morales’ blood sample from the night of his arrest. The numerous court-date delays pushed Morales’ hearing – at which he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty – past the expiration of his Santa Clara County DUI conviction probation, thereby reducing the consequences he could suffer from a guilty plea. A probation violation could have re-opened his Santa Clara County case. And, for the record, those private lab results that took so long to complete told the same story as the initial tests.
While we’re not surprised that Morales would do whatever he could to reduce the punishment for his repeated DUI offenses, it’s too bad that a Gilroy City Councilman is serving as the object lesson for the flaws in our criminal justice system.
Since his arrest, Morales has yet to apologize from the City Council dais for his actions. Instead, Morales has made comments attempting to portray himself as a victim of “sensational” reporting.
That’s hardly the truth. The facts reveal a man in a position to make laws but with a long track record of breaking them – and wearing the house arrest electronic monitoring bracelet while sitting at the City Council dais will be a graphic reminder. A look at the facts reveals a man in charge of public safety with a long history of endangering his own life and the lives of others by driving while intoxicated. A look at the facts reveals a man in a position of authority and responsibility who has yet to take real responsibility for the distraction and disgrace he has brought upon himself, his position and his community.
Morales is incredibly lucky that his exploits as a drunk driver have not yet hurt or killed himself or any innocent victims.
Hopefully, he has acquired a deep understanding of that tragic possibility at this point in his life – though the evidence suggests otherwise.
Hopefully, the help he seeks for his addiction will result in a lifelong commitment to sobriety.
Hopefully, he will, at some point, publicly apologize to the citizens of Gilroy.
At that point there will be a measure of closure.
