Kennedy pleads guilty to DUI in plea deal

WASHINGTON — Rep. Patrick Kennedy pleaded guilty Tuesday to driving under the influence of prescription drugs and was sentenced to undergo court-ordered drug treatment and a year's probation.

Kennedy, D-R.I., also was ordered to pay at least $350 in connection with his middle-of-the-night car crash last month near the Capitol.

Two other charges against Kennedy were dismissed: reckless driving and failure to exhibit a driving permit.

Accompanied by his lawyer, Kennedy entered his plea Tuesday afternoon before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Aida Melendez.

"I am pleading guilty to driving under the influence," Kennedy said.

Melendez ordered Kennedy to undergo court-monitored drug treatment and pay $350 — $250 of which would go to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, and $100 to a crime victims' fund. She also gave Kennedy a 10-day jail sentence that he would serve if he violated the terms of his probation, and she ordered him to serve 50 hours of community service with the boys and girls club.

"Today in court, I suffered the consequences of my actions," Kennedy told reporters outside the courthouse. "I look forward today to moving on to the next chapter in my life."

Kennedy was joined in court by Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., who is his sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous. Ramstad said he'd had a "wake-up call" similar to Kennedy's several years ago.

"I'm grateful he has accepted his addiction and he is going to be just fine one day at a time," Ramstad said.

Under the terms of his plea deal, Kennedy must attend weekly meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous and a recovery group facilitated by his physician, Dr. Ronald Smith. He must check in with Ramstad once a week and submit to random urine screenings.

Kennedy also has to meet regularly with a "qualified psychiatrist to monitor mood symptoms, anxiety and use of psychotropic prescription medications," according to court documents.

Kennedy was booked on the three charges at Capitol Police headquarters about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider.

Kennedy returned to Congress last week after nearly a month of treatment for addiction to prescription pain drugs at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.