Assemblyman Joe Hogan says he will contest DUI arrest

By David McGrath Schwartz

Wednesday, April 25, 2012 | 9:18 a.m.

Assemblyman Joe Hogan, arrested on a count of driving under the influence after a political fundraiser last week, said Tuesday night he plans to contest the misdemeanor charge he faces.

The Las Vegas Democrat said he had a “very small amount of wine” at the event on Wednesday at Wynn Las Vegas to raise money for the Assembly Democrats. In his first interview since the arrest, he said he was heading home when he was arrested on 2208 Tam Drive, near Sahara Avenue.

“I think almost everybody had a drink. It was a very social event,” he said of the fundraiser.

Assemblyman Marcus Conklin, D-Las Vegas, the majority leader, declined to comment.

The case is pending in Las Vegas Municipal Court. Las Vegas police referred questions to prosecutors. The city did not respond to a request for the incident report.

Hogan said he’s waiting on the results of a blood test, which could take three weeks. He declined to take a breathalyzer at the scene, he said. “I felt the blood test would be more certain,” he said.

Hogan, who faces a Democratic challenger in June and a Republican opponent in November, said he intends to return next session. He was knocking on doors in his district Tuesday afternoon he said.

He said the 2013 Legislature “extremely important, particularly for environmental problems facing us, in terms of water.”

He added: “I wouldn’t want to miss it. I wouldn’t want a little event, unfortunate though it was, to prevent me from trying to help with those issues.”