Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann pleads no contest to 2024 DUI charge

NAPLES, Fla. —

Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann pleaded no contest to a 2024 DUI charge on Sunday, one day before she was set for trial, according to court records.

The terms of the plea agreement are as follows:

Adjudication of guilt
$1,000 fine, 5% surcharge
12 months of probation, may be terminated early at 6 months
DUI school
Substance abuse evaluation
Random testing
No consumption of alcohol (unless in Heitmann's residence)
10-day vehicle impound
6-month driver's license revocation
50 hours of community service

In August of 2024, Heitmann was arrested by Naples police responded to a 911 call from a couple who said that they were being followed home. According to police, the callers said that the woman driving claimed to be the mayor and was intoxicated.

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. This plea ends a case that spanned almost a year and a half.

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