Kerry Kennedy must stand trial for drugged driving, a Westchester judge said yesterday in rejecting a bid by the former wife of Gov. Cuomo to dismiss the misdemeanor charge.
North Castle Town Court Judge Elyse Lazansky set Oct. 8 for the next court date in the case of Kennedy, 53, who was allegedly under the influence of a sleeping pill when she swerved her Lexus into a tractor-trailer on I-684 near her home last July 13.
The judge conceded that Kennedy, a human-rights activist who is the 10th of 11 children of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, “is not a typical criminal defendant. She has achieved a great deal and is dedicated to good works.”
But Lazansky added, “Other gifted, powerful and wealthy politicians and celebrities too numerous to mention have faced a wide variety of criminal charges and have gone on to do their jobs or serve the public in many important ways.”
The judge said Kennedy “cut a wide swath of danger and risk to other vehicles on the road during rush hour that day, allegedly driving on the grass, the median, hitting a tractor-trailer and weaving across lanes of the interstate.”
Kennedy refused to comment as she left court after the brief hearing.
Her attorney, Gerald Lefcourt, said he has “every confidence that Ms. Kennedy will be exonerated.”
Kennedy, who is a niece of the late President John F. Kennedy, was arrested after she allegedly failed sobriety tests.
She reportedly told police that she accidentally took a sleeping pill instead of the intended thyroid medication she takes every day.
Prosecutors claimed dropping the charge would fuel the perception that Kennedy was being let off because of her celebrated name and status.