AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas senator from Georgetown was arrested by the Austin Police Department and charged with driving while intoxicated early Tuesday morning. Online jail records show Charles Jeffrey Schwertner, 52, was booked into the Travis County Jail just after 2 a.m. Tuesday. According to APD, officers conducted a traffic stop at about 12:46 a.m. at the intersection of Avenue B and West 45th Street. That’s near The Triangle in central Austin. During the interaction, officers arrested Schwertner, police said.
Schwertner’s Texas Senate bio said the Republican has represented the Texas Senate District 5 since 2013. That district covers a 10-county region including Brazos, Freestone, Grimes, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Walker and Williamson counties. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick put out a statement about Schwertner’s arrest, condemning his actions. But Patrick said he will await any final outcomes in court before further commenting or taking any action. “There is zero excuse for driving under the influence and putting lives in danger, in particular by a member of the legislature whose conduct should be held to a higher standard,” Patrick said in a press release.
