Local attorneys are still shaking their heads over District 37 Texas State Rep. Rene Oliveira's admission that he was driving drunk when he rear-ended a woman Friday night an then fled the scene of the accident, leaving his wife to lie to police that no accident had happened.
"Why on earth would he admit he was guilty?," asked an incredulous defense attorney. "He should just have kept his mouth shut and waited for court."
Then, to make matters worse, he refused to take a Breathalyzer test, forcing police to seek a warrant to draw his blood, opening himself to have whatever substances may have been in his system to authorities. He does look a bit bug-eyed in the booking photo taken some two hours after the accident.
Oliveira, in the heat of a runoff election with early voting set to begin two weeks from today (May 14), admitted he struck a car from behind as he made his way from an election campaign mixer at Cobbleheads Bar Friday and then drove away with two flat tires. His wife, the former Lorrie Sanchez, followed behind him in a silver Lexus.
Earlier, police had seen his Cadillac drive away from the scene of the accident and she had told them that no accident had happened. She, apparently, followed his car to their home on Jacaranda Street, about two to three miles from the scene of the accident.
Police did not file charges for fleeing from the scene, or for her making false statements. And they did not take possession of the Cadillac and had it hauled off by a tow truck. The photo of the car tilted to the right was taken the morning after the mishap.
They arrested him at the house, booked him at the police station down the road on Jackson Street, and then a $2,500 bond was set for him by a pliant municipal judge who got out of bed and had him released at about 4 a..m.
Normally, when defendants in DWI cases where an accident has occurred and they come before the judge, they are required to place an ignition interlock device on their car to prevent them from turning on the car if there is alcohol detected in their breath. That was not done here. Oliveira could have easily climbed into the car and headed for Matamoros to have an eye-opener and no one would have been the wiser, unless he hit someone again, of course.
If it had been you or me (we, unfortunately, speak from experience), you would have had to wait until the judge arrived in the morning (at about 10 a.m. or later), stand before him in your socks, and the cool your heels as the rest of the drunk tank crowd was processed and their bail set.
Then, after the paperwork was finished and you had your black coffee and day-old pan dulce, you would finally be released into the bright (and hot) glare of the midday sun.
Getottahere!