AZ lawmaker accused of criminal speeding pleads not guilty, claims 'political persecution'
State Sen. Justine Wadsack pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal speeding and failure to produce insurance during a pre-arraignment hearing in Tucson Municipal Court.
Obviously, my client is innocent until proven guilty, said Brad Miller, a Chandler-based attorney and Republican candidate for Pinal County attorney who is running unopposed in the November election. I look forward to going through the discovery process. I believe that the Prosecutors Office and the judiciary will be fair to my client.
Wadsacks hearing came six months after police radar captured her driving 71 mph in a 35-mph zone in central Tucson in mid-March. Wadsack, a Republican, said she was "racing home" because the charge on her electric vehicle was about to run out. Wadsack refused to sign a criminal citation for excessive speeding, triggering a pending court summons to have her acknowledge the alleged violation, Tucson police say.
She was not immediately ticketed after the incident because she was a state lawmaker, and the Arizona Constitution gives legislators immunity from civil prosecution during the session. The session ended in mid-June. A Tucson police spokesperson said Wadsack refused to sign the citation when officers contacted her for a meeting.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/17/justine-wadsack-pleads-not-guilty-to-criminal-speeding/75265061007/