Trial date set in DUI case against Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. —

Nearly a year and a half after her arrest, a judge has set a trial date in the DUI case against Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann.

During a pretrial hearing on Wednesday, a Collier County judge scheduled Heitmann’s trial for Feb. 16 and 17, with proceedings set to begin at 10:30 a.m. on the first day. Heitmann was not in court for the hearing, but her attorney appeared on her behalf. Both the defense and prosecution are ready for trial.

Heitmann was arrested by Naples police on Aug. 28, 2024, after officers responded to a 911 call from a couple who reported being followed home. Police said the caller told officers the woman driving the vehicle claimed to be the mayor and appeared intoxicated.

According to police reports, officers found Heitmann at the scene and observed signs of impairment. Officers said she failed field sobriety tests.

Police records show Heitmann later provided two breath samples, measuring 0.155 and 0.169, both more than twice Florida’s legal limit.

Over the past year, Heitmann’s defense filed multiple motions asking the court to suppress evidence, including dashcam video, officer observations, and her statements to police. Defense attorneys argued officers did not witness her driving and lacked probable cause for the arrest.

Prosecutors countered that Heitmann admitted on video that she had been driving and that officers had sufficient evidence to move forward with a DUI investigation.

The judge denied the motions to suppress, allowing the evidence to be used at trial and clearing the way for the case to proceed.

Gulf Coast News will continue to follow the case as it moves toward trial.

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