Crime & Safety

Kerry Kennedy Seeks Dismissal of Impaired Driving Charge

In a quick appearance before a North Castle Town Justice, it was agreed that a motion to dismiss the case will be filed. A judge is expected to rule on the motion on May 7.

Kerry Kennedy is seeking to get the impaired driving charge against her dismissed, her attorney revealed Tuesday evening at an appearance in North Castle Justice Court in Armonk.

Kennedy's legal counsel is expected to file its motion by March 1, with the Westchester County District Attorney's office having until March 26 to give its own response. 

A judge is expected to rule on the motion by May 7.

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Kennedy's court appearance, which was before Justice Elyse Lazansky, was brief., and she did not speak with the press. An attorney was asked about the possibility of a plea deal, which he denied. The statement about a plea deal scenario was a reiteration of the stance given earlier today in an Associated Press story about the case.

Kennedy, a Bedford resident, is charged with driving while ability impaired, which is in connection with a July 13, 2012 accident involving her vehicle and a truck on Interstate 684 in Armonk. The truck driver, Dutchess County resident Rocco Scuiletti, was initially charged with leaving the scene of an accident but took a plea deal, and pleaded guilty in November to a charge of disobeying a traffic device.

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North Castle Police, in a report, stated that Kennedy explained in the aftermath of the accident that she may have taken sleeping medication by mistake, instead of her hyroid medicine. Kennedy initially believed, based on doctors' examinations, that a seizure could have been to blame for the matter.

However,  drug tests revealed later in the summer showed that she had a form of the Ambien sleeping medication in her body. In response to the results, Kennedy put out a press statement, saying that "it now appears that my first instinct was correct."


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