State lawmaker pleads guilty to drunk driving charges

Watertown state Rep. John Lawn pleaded guilty to drunk driving charges on Monday in Boston Municipal Court after a not guilty plea had been previously entered on his behalf earlier in the morning.

He admitted to driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a crash near the State House. Lawn faces fines, alcohol treatment and education and a 45-day driver's license suspension.

Both charges will be continued without a finding if Lawn maintains a clean record a one year.

Court records show he was arrested early Wednesday morning.

Boston police said that Lawn, a 56-year-old Democrat who chairs the influential health care financing committee, was arrested at about 1:45 a.m. with the assistance of Massachusetts State Police.

Lawn had led a roughly four-and-a-half hour committee hearing that afternoon.

Officers said they approached Lawn, who was in a GMC Yukon, after a witness reported the car crashing into a parked vehicle and driving away, according to a redacted copy of the police report. Police reported detecting "a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage" and said Lawn's eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and his speech was slurred.

Local ABC affiliate WCVB reported Wednesday, citing an unredacted copy of the report, that Lawn told police, "I am a state rep," and that he was coming from an event at the State House.

In a statement provided by his lawyer, Lawn said he deeply regretted and took full responsibility for his actions.

"What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses," he said. "I am committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. To my family, friends, and constituents, I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry."

Lawn was not visible in the House Chamber Wednesday morning when the branch gathered for a formal session, and did not indicate his presence during a quorum roll call vote, according to State House News Service.

Beacon Hill has a history of lawmakers accused of drunken driving after events at the State House. In 2022, Rep. David LeBoeuf of Worcester was arrested in Quincy and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol just after House lawmakers wrapped up a day of budget debate.

Brockton Sen. Michael Brady was arrested in Weymouth in 2018 while on his way home from a "work event" in Boston.

House Speaker Ron Mariano said he was disappointed to hear of the charges against Lawn.

“Driving under the influence is an incredibly dangerous and often deadly mistake, and I am relieved that no one was injured in this particular instance," he said in a statement.

Material from the State House News Service was used in compiling this report.