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Santa Barbara judge pleads innocent to DUI charges
Friday February 07, 2003
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (AP) Superior Court Judge Diana Hall
pleaded innocent Friday to drunken driving and other charges that
authorities say were the result of a dispute with her girlfriend.
Hall, 52, was arrested Dec. 21 by Santa Barbara County Sheriff's
deputies responding to a disturbance involving her girlfriend,
Deidra Dykeman, at the couple's Santa Ynez home.
Deputies who pulled over Hall's car on Highway 246 said that
while questioning her about the disturbance call they smelled
alcohol on her breath. She was arrested after she failed a field
sobriety test.
The judge pleaded innocent to two misdemeanor counts of driving
under the influence and having a blood-alcohol level above the
state's legal limit of .08.
She also pleaded innocent to two felony counts of preventing a
victim from reporting a crime and destruction of a telephone, and
two misdemeanor counts of battery and showing a firearm.
Hall allegedly pulled a loaded .38 caliber handgun and
threatened to shoot Dykeman's dog as the two argued.
The judge isn't currently hearing cases, but continues to train
for a new assignment taking over civil cases.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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