Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of slain Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy, was acquitted of drugged driving today. The 54-year-old said, "I'm very grateful justice was done."
Kennedy was arrested in July 2012 after crashing her Lexus into a tractor-trailer on I-684 in Westchester County and then leaving the scene. Her car was found at an exit, with Kennedy slumped over the wheel. Apparently she had mistakenly taken an Ambien generic instead of her thyroid medication.
Prosecutors had tried to argue that Kennedy, who had taken the sleeping pill for years, knew she was under its effects and should have pulled over immediately, while her lawyer pointed out that the pill can lead to sleep driving.
The Post reports, "To find Kennedy guilty of misdemeanor impaired driving, jurors had to find that Kennedy realized she was drugged and decided to stay on the road." Kennedy had testified, "If I realized I was impaired I would have pulled over."
While her lawyer said that Kennedy was "not seeking advantage because of her family," she did remind the jurors that her dad was assassinated while running for president.
After the verdict, Kennedy said she had an "amazing family," adding, "I really did have great, great lawyers... And most people don't have access to that. And we need to take a hard look at our criminal justice system in the United States to make sure that it truly is just and that everyone in our country has true access to fair chance."
Kennedy is also the ex-wife of Governor Andrew Cuomo. They married in 1991 and had three daughters, but they divorced in 2005 after she had a very public affair with a polo-playing neighbor in 2003.
