Paul Pelosi absent from first court appearance on hit-and-run charge in Napa County crash case

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Paul Pelosi did not appear in a Napa County courtroom Friday for his first scheduled court appearance on a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge, with an attorney entering a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Pelosi, 86, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was represented by attorney Amanda Bevins in Napa County Superior Court, according to The California Post.

Bevins declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Friday.

PAUL PELOSI, 86, FACES A HIT-AND-RUN CHARGE AFTER STRIKING A PARKED CAR IN NAPA COUNTY: SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Paul Pelosi and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attend the Obama Presidential Center dedication in Chicago

The court date came nearly a month after the Napa County District Attorney’s Office formally charged Pelosi with misdemeanor hit-and-run and an infraction for an unsafe turning movement stemming from a July 3 crash.

According to a criminal complaint previously obtained by Fox News Digital, Pelosi allegedly struck and damaged a parked Tesla while driving a burgundy Maserati convertible before leaving without attempting to identify the Tesla’s owner or provide the information required under California law.

Deputies later located Pelosi roughly a half-mile away, where he allegedly told officers that he had intended to return to the scene, according to the complaint.

Prosecutors contend those actions formed the basis for the misdemeanor charge and accompanying traffic infraction.

FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED FOR DUI AFTER TROOPERS ALLEGEDLY FIND 34 OPEN ALCOHOL CONTAINERS IN VEHICLE

Paul Pelosi sitting in the front seat of a red car outside a San Francisco courthouse

The district attorney’s office said last month that it does not typically issue news releases announcing misdemeanor hit-and-run cases involving only property damage but made an exception because of the “significant public and media interest” surrounding Pelosi.

Pelosi, a venture capitalist who has long maintained a residence in Napa County, was allegedly driving the Maserati at the time of the collision. The complaint did not indicate whether anyone else was in the car.

The case marks Pelosi’s second high-profile traffic-related legal matter in Napa County in recent years.

In 2022, Pelosi pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DUI following a separate crash in the county. He was sentenced to probation, ordered to pay restitution and fines, required to complete a DUI education program and ordered to install an ignition interlock device.

The July case also brought renewed attention to Pelosi’s driving history. The New York Times reported last month that Pelosi has received driving infractions in four Bay Area counties in recent years, including San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo and Napa.

According to the Times, the infractions included speeding, driving the wrong way on a one-way street, using a cellphone without a hands-free device and failing to stop at a red light.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Times also reported that Pelosi was driving during a 1957 crash in San Mateo County that killed his 19-year-old brother. A jury later cleared Pelosi of wrongdoing in connection with the crash.

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

wp:paragraph