Story Created:
Aug 25, 2010 at 4:30 PM PST
Story Updated:
Sep 22, 2010 at 8:42 PM PST
WESTMINSTER — Former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo, who generated national headlines with the disclosure his nearly $800,000 salary, pleaded guilty Wednesday to drunken driving.
Rizzo had a blood-alcohol content of 0.28 percent, more than three times the legal limit, when he was arrested March 6 in Huntington Beach, according to prosecutors. Rizzo crashed into a neighbor's mailbox in an alley about 10 p.m.
Rizzo, who did not appear in court, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or more. A sentencing enhancement for having a blood-alcohol level of .20 percent or more was also found true.
The maximum penalty would have been six months in jail, according to Deputy District Attorney Brock Zimmon who prosecuted Rizzo.
Rizzo passed his home before crashing into the neighbor's mailbox. Witnesses called police.
Rizzo was apparently so drunk that Huntington Beach police stopped him from finishing field sobriety tests for his safety, according to the District Attorney's Office.
As part of a plea deal offered by Orange County Superior Court Judge Michael Cassidy, Rizzo was ordered to do 80 hours of community service by Nov. 23.
Cassidy also placed him on three years of informal probation and ordered him to pay $767 in fines and fees, Zimmon said.
Rizzo has already enrolled in a nine-month alcohol education class for first offenders, his attorney Katherine McBroom told the judge. She declined comment after the hearing.
Zimmon did not object to the plea deal and said after the hearing that Rizzo received a standard offer for a first-time offender.
Department of Motor Vehicles officials will decide whether to suspend or revoke Rizzo's driver's license, Zimmon said.
Rizzo was scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing Thursday, but McBrook moved it up a day.
Bell, which has a population of about 40,000, became the center of national attention in July when the Los Angeles Times reported Rizzo had an annual salary of $787,637. The Times reporters found out about the salary when they were looking into his background after the drunken driving arrest.
It was later reported Rizzo's annual compensation was closer to $1.5 million when factoring in benefits. It was also reported Police Chief Randy Adams pulled down $457,000 and Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia received $376,000.
All three have since resigned.
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