Washington state House candidate pleads not guilty to DUI charge

A Democratic candidate for the Washington state House of Representatives pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence Friday in her first court appearance after she was arrested last month. 

Krista Perez, 40, of Tacoma is charged with a DUI with an enhancement for refusing a breath test. 

Her Aug. 11 arrest took place days after she beat incumbent Rep. Melanie Morgan, D-Parkland, in the primary election. Perez, is vying for Morgan’s seat in the 29th Legislative District in Pierce County. Morgan will also be on the ballot in November. 

Judge Steven Krupa released Perez on her own recognizance — she did not have to post bail. 

A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for the morning of Oct. 30. 

Perez is accused of driving her pickup truck into a parked car, causing a chain reaction that left four other cars damaged in Tacoma near Lincoln High School, according to a police report. Perez confirmed she was driving but said she didn’t know what happened, the report stated. 

Perez told police she had a glass of wine and rated her level of intoxication at a four out of 10, according to the police report. 

When asked to perform field sobriety tests, Perez told a Tacoma officer that she didn’t understand and eventually declined to participate, according to court documents. 

If convicted, her sentence could be more severe because she would not take a breath test. 

Perez’s criminal defense attorneys are frustrated with recent media reports regarding the case. 

“It’s a DUI. Why do people care?” Bryan G. Hershman, defense attorney, told the Standard. “Focus on the campaign.”

Krupa asked Scott McGinty, another defense attorney present during Friday’s arraignment, to comment on media requests to record and take photos of the hearing. McGinty deferred the decision to the court.

“Somehow the media has gotten all the body cam footage already before the defense … it’s a bit frustrating,” McGinty said. 

Perez works as a strategic partnerships manager for the state’s Department of Commerce. She ran for Tacoma City Council last year but lost the election.