Former council candidate Venus Velázquez to stand trial

Venus Velázquez, who lost her bid for the Seattle City Council last year after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, will stand trial in December.

The case has been in and out of Seattle Municipal Court for 13 months because Velázquez's lawyers have argued that the city attorney's office should be barred from prosecuting the case since City Attorney Tom Carr had endorsed her opponent in the November 2007 election.

Municipal Court Judge George Holifield today sided with Carr's office, ruling that it can prosecute the case. Holifield said that even though Carr had been keeping apprised of the case, he had disqualified himself from handling details directly.

"Nothing in the rules says he even has to [disqualify himself]," Holifield said. The jury trial is slated to begin on Dec. 2.

Velázquez was charged in October 2007 after she was stopped by police for reportedly speeding and weaving while driving in Ballard. After Velázquez's arrest, Carr said he had recused himself because he knew her and because he had endorsed Bruce Harrell, who later won the election.

After being pulled over, Velázquez, a public-affairs consultant, took a preliminary roadside breath test that registered higher than the legal limit, according to her attorney, Bill Bowman. Seattle police clocked Velázquez going 50 mph in a 30 mph zone on Northwest Market Street. She told the officer she had two drinks with dinner.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com