Patrick Kennedy, a member of one of America's most famous political dynasties, pleaded guilty today to driving under the influence of prescription drugs when he crashed his car near the U.S. Capitol last month.
Kennedy (38), a Rhode Island Democrat Representative, is the son of Massachusetts Democrat Senator Edward Kennedy and a nephew of former President John F. Kennedy.
He has publicly acknowledged a long struggle with drug dependency and bipolar disorder and was treated at the Mayo Clinic last month after the May 4th crash. He returned to work in Congress last week after completing his treatment.
Kennedy pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of prescription drugs before Magistrate Judge Aida Melendez in the District of Columbia Superior Court.
In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped two other charges of reckless driving and failure to exhibit a driving permit.
Judge Melendez ordered Kennedy to pay $100 to the victims of crime fund and to give a $250 donation to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington. He was also ordered to follow a treatment plan, perform community service and was put on 12 months of supervised probation.
The judge also imposed a fine and a ten-day jail sentence but said Kennedy would not have to pay it or serve the jail time if he follows all the requirements of the plea agreement.
"I've always said that I wanted to take full responsibility for my actions. Today in court I did just that," Kennedy told reporters outside the courthouse, adding that he was looking forward to "moving on to the next chapter of my life."
Kennedy has repeatedly maintained that he did not drink alcohol before smashing his car into a cement barrier in the early hours of the morning, although police on the scene said he appeared to be intoxicated. No sobriety tests were conducted at the scene.
Kennedy said he was disoriented from the sleeping pill Ambien and the powerful anti-nausea medication Phenergan.
Police said at the time that Kennedy had red, watery eyes, slurred speech and unsteady balance after the accident - his second in three weeks.
Rhode Island Democrats have endorsed him for reelection in November but the state Republican Party said he should consider resigning because there was no guarantee that he would be able to do his job effectively.