BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The day after she was charged, North Dakota State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler had pleaded guilty to drunken driving.
Baesler pleaded guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor DUI under a plea agreement, The Bismarck Tribune reported. A judge accepted the plea deal on Thursday.
The agreement includes almost a year of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine and $250 in court fees. Baesler will be required to undergo a chemical dependency evaluation within the next two months and to complete any recommended treatment within the next six months. She also received a suspended 10-day jail sentence.
A state trooper saw Baesler weaving across the center line before he stopped her Feb. 26 in Mandan, according to court documents which also indicate she failed field sobriety tests, but refused a breath test.
“Her eyes were bloodshot and watery and her speech was slightly slurred,” trooper Troy Roth wrote in his report.
Baesler, 50, admitted having three beers at a restaurant in Bismarck before getting behind the wheel, the affidavit said.
Baesler said last week she planned to plead guilty when charged and will seek outpatient counseling and treatment. She declined to comment to the newspaper about her plea.
She is seeking a third term as North Dakota superintendent of public instruction. It’s a nonpartisan office but political parties issue letters of support for candidates.
Charles Tuttle and Underwood School District Superintendent Brandt J. Dick also are also seeking the Republican endorsement.
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