DA denies drinking on dash-cam video

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg denies having been drinking on the night she was arrested, video from the dashboard of a Travis County Sheriff’s deputy released on Monday shows.

“You been drinking,” the deputy says to Lehmberg, who was still in her vehicle at 10:49 p.m. on April 12.

Lehmberg replies, “No.”

She is asked where was was coming from when the deputy found her parked near a church on Ranch Road 620 in Northwest Travis County. She replies, “Austin.”

When the deputy asks her where in Austin, Lehmberg replies: “What is with you guys?”

At that point, the deputy tells her: “Ma’am, you’re fixing to go to jail for DWI. How’s that?”

The video, which is several hours long and shows Lehmberg leaning against her vehicle as if to steady herself, was released news outlets that requested it under Texas open government laws. It comes just three days after the release of video taken of Lehmberg while she was in Travis County Jail after her arrest.

That video shows her being restrained after kicking at her cell door and telling jail staff that they might be in trouble for keeping her in custody. Her blood-alcohol content was measured at 2.39, nearly three times the limit that triggers driving while intoxicated charges.

On Friday, Lehmberg pleaded guilty to DWI and began serving her 45-day jail sentence.