After an initial arraignment during which a not guilty plea was entered for him, Rep. John Lawn admitted to the facts as he faced charges of drunken driving and leaving the scene of a crash in a Boston courtroom Thursday.
After Thursday morning’s arraignment ended and he returned to the courtroom, Lawn changed the not guilty plea that had been entered on his behalf and admitted to the facts of the case. He faces a slew of fines, required alcohol treatment and education, and a 45-day loss of his license.
The OUI charge will be continued without a finding if the representative maintains a clear record for one year, and the leaving the scene charge will be handled similarly, contingent upon a clean record for six months.
Lawn was arrested at about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday by the Boston Police Department, with assistance from the Mass. State Police, on two misdemeanor charges: OUI and leaving a scene where there was property damage, BPD said.
The arrest occurred after Lawn allegedly hit a parked car on Hancock Street, which runs alongside the State House, while driving a GMC Yukon and proceeded to run several stop signs. Another driver who saw the crash followed Lawn as he circled the State House and flagged down an officer when Lawn parked on Bowdoin Street, which runs along the opposite side of the State House.
The responding officer “observed extreme damage to the passenger side front wheel ... turned to an extreme degree not consistent with normal vehicle operations,” according to the arrest report. When the officer requested Lawn’s license and registration, he “detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from” Lawn and “further observed that the suspect’s eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and his speech was slurred.”
Lawn made a brief statement after his second court appearance Thursday, but took no questions. He did not answer as reporters pursued him and asked whether he intends to resign from the House and where he was before his arrest.
“I’d just like to say I deeply regret my actions the other night. I take full responsibility for them. I own it, and will do everything in my power to make sure nothing like this ever happens again,” he said outside the courthouse. “I apologize to my friends and family, my constituents, my colleagues. I feel terrible and will do all I can to make sure I live a better life and a healthier life, make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
During his initial appearance in Boston Municipal Court on Thursday morning, a not guilty plea was entered on the Watertown Democrat’s behalf. That is a standard practice in many District Court cases across Massachusetts. He was released on his own recognizance and was slated to have a pre-trial hearing Aug. 1.
Lawn has represented parts of Watertown, Waltham, and Newton in the House since 2011. He is the chairman of the Committee on Health Care Financing, which wrestles with some of the most pressing and complicated challenges facing Massachusetts.
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