Helton Pleads Guilty To Impaired Driving Charge
BRIGHTON, Colo. (CBS4) - Rockies star Todd Helton will pay a $400 fine and will spend a year on probation after pleading guilty Tuesday morning to a charge of driving while ability impaired.
Helton, the team's long-time first baseman, will also be forced to perform 24 hours of community service.
Helton was arrested Feb. 6 at a Thornton gas station on charges of DUI and careless driving.
Prosecutors said that because Helton was compliant with officers at time of arrest, has no prior arrests and didn't cause an accident, they were approved of a probation sentence.
"I'm very regretful to be standing here today, judge," Helton said in court. "I'm taking steps to make sure this never happens again."
"That's a promise you need to make to yourself," Judge Brian Bowen said.
The arrest report stated Helton was wearing camouflage and seemed somewhat dazed when officers arrested him. When officers asked for his driver's license, Helton searched inside his pickup truck on both the driver's side and passenger side before officers asked if his ID was in the wallet on the driver's side seat. =
Helton also made spontaneous statements about drinking two Igloo cups of red wine several hours before.
