Paul Pelosi gets probation after no-contest hit-and-run plea

Six-month driving ban and 10-day work program ordered

Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, pleaded no contest Tuesday to a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge and an infraction for making an unlawful turn, according to Napa County prosecutors. The 86-year-old received one year of summary probation, a six-month prohibition on driving and an order to complete a 10-day work program.

The charge arose from a collision on July 3 in Yountville, California, where Pelosi was driving a brown convertible. The Napa County Sheriff’s Office said he collided with a legally parked car on the side of the road, briefly stopped and then allegedly drove away. The other car was unoccupied, and no injuries were reported.

State law requires drivers involved in accidents resulting in property damage to stop and provide their vehicle and license information. Prosecutors charged Pelosi with a misdemeanor violation of that law and an infraction for making an unlawful turn.

Pelosi pleaded no contest to both the misdemeanor and infraction, prosecutors said. His placement on one year of summary probation means he was released without reporting to a probation officer. The sentence prohibited him from driving for six months and required him to complete a 10-day work program.

Pelosi paid about $11,200 in restitution to the owner of the car he struck, along with court fines and fees. “Mr. Paul Pelosi has personally apologized to the owner of the vehicle and assured them that he would take responsibility for the damage to their vehicle,” a spokesperson for the Pelosi family told KRON-TV in July.

Officials also said no alcohol was involved in the collision.

Pelosi pleaded guilty in 2022 to misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence in Napa County. He was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation. He served two days in jail and received good conduct credit for two other days, leaving one day to serve in a work program at the courthouse.

That probation required Pelosi to pay thousands in fines and victim restitution, attend a three-month drinking driver class and install an ignition interlock device. The device forces a driver to provide a breath sample to prove sobriety before the engine will start.