A former assistant principal at Righetti High School has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge in Santa Maria Superior Court.
Jeremy Shipman, 49, of Santa Maria entered the no-contest plea to driving with a blood-alcohol content above 0.08%, and admitted a special allegation for having a BAC over 0.15%.
Additional charges were dismissed under the plea agreement.
The charges stem from a November 2021 incident just blocks from his Santa Maria residence.
Santa Maria police officers responded to the 1400 block of Heritage Way at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 6 after receiving a report about a man drinking alcoholic beverages in his vehicle while parked on the side of the road.
The caller also claimed the man had exited the car at one point and urinated on the lawn, according to a police report.
As officers approached, they saw a vehicle matching the subject’s description parked on the road.
Police determined Shipman was showing signs of intoxication and impairment. He was taken into custody, issued a citation, and released to a sober licensed driver, police added.
Under the first amended complaint, Shipman was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, and driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol content above the legal limit of 0.08%.
A third misdemeanor count was for possessing an open container of alcohol in a passenger vehicle.
He also faced two sentencing enhancements, or special allegations, for driving with a BAC above 0.15% and 0.20%.
According to the criminal complaint, his BAC was 0.23%, or nearly three times the limit at which a person is presumed drunk under state law.
For the purposes of sentencing, a no-contest plea is treated like a guilty plea.
On Tuesday, Judge John McGregor handed down a suspended sentence of 60 days in jail for Shipman, who faced up to 180 days in jail.
He will remain on probation for three years, and must return to court on Oct. 4 for a review, which includes proof he completed court-ordered classes including enrollment in a first-time DUI offender program.
Shipman also must pay a fine of $1,690.
At the time of his arrest, Shipman served as one of three assistant principals at Righetti High School.
Since his arrest became public, Shipman has been reassigned to the job of special education coordinator at Pioneer Valley High School.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.