By Brian Hews and Randy Economy
(Simi Valley, CA) Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper exclusively obtained the video of the arrest of Simi Valley City Councilman Steve Sojka after he was found to be driving under the influence on March 11, 2014 in the El Segundo area.
HMG-CN only released only a portion of the tapes last week.
The story received over 2,300 hits and generated many comments, mostly against, but some defending Sojka.
Some of Sojka’s supporters also attacked HMG-CN for releasing the tapes.
Mitchell Green a Simi Valley attorney who has filed a lawsuit for Sojka on an unrelated matter, was one of the most vocal critics of HMG-CN taking to Facebook to blast the paper, while ignoring Sojka’s DUI.
Green has a blog in Simi Valley that he uses for political purposes where he often defends and endorses Sojka and slams anyone going against him.
Sources told HMG-CN that Green called Sojka’s DUI “a simple first-time DUI offense,” and wrote nothing else on his blog about the DUI.
In addition, the Acorn, a local weekly newspaper in Simi Valley that sources tell HMG-CN “does not touch Sojka not matter what,” wrote an Op/Ed this past July 18, four days after the release of the video, attempting to defend the Editor and newspaper for not immediately requesting the video tapes of Sojka’s arrest via a public records request.
Friends of Sojka circulated several versions of the incident publicly including saying that was not driving but trying to sober up in his car, and that he was attempting to find a hotel to stay at.
In the new video Sojka is seen pulled over and approached by police. After exiting his vehicle, an obviously drunk Sojka goes through several field sobriety tests.
AT 4:30 of the video the officer describes how he came to pull Sojka over, apparently Sojka was so inebriated that he pulled over “very quick” and rolled his window down to talk to the officer. The officer asked “what’s up” and Sojka was heard slurring his words. The officer is heard saying, “either this guy has a speech impediment or this dude is hammered.”
Sojka plead no contest on June 17th to the DUI charges at a Los Angeles County Superior Court, his blood alcohol level was .14.
See additional video, click here.
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