News Anchor Busted for Public Intoxication
SANTA BARBARA — Suspicions of biased political alliance and legal favoritism run rampant from the streets of Santa Barbara to the steps of City Hall with the July 29th arrest of Paula Lopez (48), a prominent local ABC-TV affiliate news anchor, on charges of public intoxication.
Paula Lopez
According to SB County Sheriff Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, Lopez was arrested near her west Santa Barbara home pursuant to 911 Emergency calls from local citizens reporting objectionable public behavior on her part. This latest arrest follows her February 27th episode in which her family reported her as “missing,” instigating a full-scale search-and-rescue ground and air effort by multiple law enforcement agencies. The case was quietly resolved and quickly ousted from the media spotlight when she was discovered in a local cocktail lounge.
In the case of her recent arrest, Hoover reported to the media that “she was taken into custody, and later released with a citation to appear in court,” indicating that the case would be referred to the office of Santa Barbara District Attorney Joyce Dudley “for review.”
Just two days later, on August 1st, Dudley announced that Lopez was eligible for the county’s Misdemeanor Diversion Program, adding that “should she choose to enroll and complete this program, the charge of public intoxication will be dropped.”
Public and media feedback calls to light the fact that since the program’s inception, only 188 such cases have ever been referred, while thousands have been cited on charges identical to those Lopez currently faces. Adding to the controversy surrounding alleged preferential treatment is that Lopez is indeed married to Frank Ochoa — a prominent Judge of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court, which has jurisdiction over such matters.
Read more:
KEYT: Paula Lopez could have charges dropped
TVSpy: Months After Brief Disappearance, KEYT’s Paula Lopez Arrested for Public Intoxication
TVSpy: KEYT’s Paula Lopez Says Public Intoxication Arrest Was Related to Alcoholism Relapse
Santa Barbara Independent: KEYT Anchor Paula Lopez Reported Missing
