Idaho senator pleads guilty in Va. to DWI charge

Sen. Michael Crapo, R-Idaho looks down as he reads a statement outside Alexandria General District Court in Alexandria, Va., Friday, Jan. 4, 2013, after pleading guilty Friday to a misdemeanor first-offense drunken driving charge. In exchange for his plea Friday, prosecutors dropped a charge of failing to obey a traffic signal. Crapo received a $250 fine and a 12-month suspension of his driver's license and must complete an alcohol safety program. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) – Idaho Republican Sen. Michael Crapo has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor first-offense drunken driving charge in a Virginia court.

In exchange for his plea Friday in Alexandria, prosecutors dropped a charge of failing to obey a traffic signal.

Crapo received a $250 fine, a 12-month suspension of his driver’s license and must complete an alcohol safety program. As long as he remains on good behavior, he won’t have to serve a 180-day suspended jail sentence.

Police say Crapo was pulled over Dec. 23 for running a red light and registered a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.

His arrest stunned colleagues and constituents alike, not only because of his squeaky-clean image but also because he’s Mormon and had said he doesn’t drink, in accordance with his church’s practices.

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