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US Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz, Kamala Harris‘s running mate, was arrested for DUI (driving under the influence) on September 23, 1995, in Nebraska. Nebraska State Trooper Stephen Rasgorshek, who has made over 1,000 DUI arrests, recalls the night he arrested Walz for drunken driving. Rasgorshek shared an axiom he formulated through his experiences: “Anyone can get a DUI.It’s what you do with it after you get the DUI.”
“One of the things I’ve always said is, anyone can get a DUI. It’s what you do with it after you get the DUI,” Rasgorshek told The Daily Beast on Monday. “If he had stuck with his story of, ‘Look, it changed my life and I stopped drinking,’ I would commend him, 1,000 percent.”
Following his arrest, Walz, then a 31-year-old teacher and football coach, took the incident seriously. A court transcript from the hearing after his arrest shows that Walz responded in a way Rasgorshek would have hoped. Walz immediately reported the incident to his principal at Alliance High School, where he was well-regarded by students and faculty, and even offered his resignation.
“Fortunately, the principal talked him out of resigning from school,” his attorney, Russell Harford, explained to the court. “He did, in fact, though, resign from his extracurricular activities… which included some coaching responsibilities.”
Harford elaborated that Walz felt he had let down his students and himself. The defense attorney highlighted that Walz had turned the incident into a learning opportunity for his students, using it as a cautionary tale about the dangers of drinking and driving.
“Now he is ministering, so to speak, to the students about all the bad things that can happen to you if you drink and drive and get caught drinking and driving,” Harford said. “I think there’s some good to come from this.”
Judge James Hansen, presiding over the March 13, 1996, hearing in Danes County Court, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, particularly given Walz’s role as a teacher.
“That’s why you’re a teacher,” Hansen told Walz. “If you didn’t think you could affect children’s lives, why would you be a teacher?”
The judge concluded by expressing hope that Walz would demonstrate the truth of the saying, “Every adversity has a seed of greater benefit.” Although Walz faced potential jail time for driving over 90 mph in a 55 mph zone while over the legal blood alcohol limit, he was permitted to plead guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving and was fined $200, plus court costs.
“I certainly hope that you’ve learned from this, and I hope that you can share that with your students, Mr. Walz,” Hansen said.
After the incident, Walz moved with his wife, Gwen, to Minnesota, her home state. He continued teaching high school and coaching football, leading his school’s team to its first state championship.
In 2006, Walz decided to enter politics and ran for Congress as a Democrat. His past DUI arrest resurfaced in the political arena, uncovered by a Republican blog, as he now seeks the vice presidency.
“One of the things I’ve always said is, anyone can get a DUI. It’s what you do with it after you get the DUI,” Rasgorshek told The Daily Beast on Monday. “If he had stuck with his story of, ‘Look, it changed my life and I stopped drinking,’ I would commend him, 1,000 percent.”
Following his arrest, Walz, then a 31-year-old teacher and football coach, took the incident seriously. A court transcript from the hearing after his arrest shows that Walz responded in a way Rasgorshek would have hoped. Walz immediately reported the incident to his principal at Alliance High School, where he was well-regarded by students and faculty, and even offered his resignation.
“Fortunately, the principal talked him out of resigning from school,” his attorney, Russell Harford, explained to the court. “He did, in fact, though, resign from his extracurricular activities… which included some coaching responsibilities.”
Harford elaborated that Walz felt he had let down his students and himself. The defense attorney highlighted that Walz had turned the incident into a learning opportunity for his students, using it as a cautionary tale about the dangers of drinking and driving.
“Now he is ministering, so to speak, to the students about all the bad things that can happen to you if you drink and drive and get caught drinking and driving,” Harford said. “I think there’s some good to come from this.”
Judge James Hansen, presiding over the March 13, 1996, hearing in Danes County Court, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, particularly given Walz’s role as a teacher.
“That’s why you’re a teacher,” Hansen told Walz. “If you didn’t think you could affect children’s lives, why would you be a teacher?”
The judge concluded by expressing hope that Walz would demonstrate the truth of the saying, “Every adversity has a seed of greater benefit.” Although Walz faced potential jail time for driving over 90 mph in a 55 mph zone while over the legal blood alcohol limit, he was permitted to plead guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving and was fined $200, plus court costs.
“I certainly hope that you’ve learned from this, and I hope that you can share that with your students, Mr. Walz,” Hansen said.
After the incident, Walz moved with his wife, Gwen, to Minnesota, her home state. He continued teaching high school and coaching football, leading his school’s team to its first state championship.
In 2006, Walz decided to enter politics and ran for Congress as a Democrat. His past DUI arrest resurfaced in the political arena, uncovered by a Republican blog, as he now seeks the vice presidency.
