Southampton - It was business as usual at Southampton Town Hall Tuesday, as Town Supervisor
Linda Kabot made her first public appearance since being charged with driving while intoxicated over the holiday weekend. Presiding over a regular meeting of the Town Board Tuesday afternoon, Kabot made no mention of the event, and remained relatively silent on the matter when accosted by reporters after the meeting concluded.
"I am addressing this personal matter with my attorney through the appropriate legal channels," Kabot asserted in a statement released Monday evening. "On the advice of my attorney, there will be no further comment at this time."
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Kabot pled not guilty to the DWI charge and is due back in court on Sept. 30. |
According to reports released by the Westhampton Beach Police Department, Kabot was making a left-hand turn onto Main Street in Westhampton Beach when she was pulled over by officers Ryan Lucas and Steven McManus for crossing over the double yellow line at approximately 12:25 a.m. Sunday. Upon interview with the supervisor, the officers reported that her eyes were red and glassy and her breath smelled strongly of an alcoholic beverage. Kabot is reported to have failed the administered field sobriety tests and refused to submit to a pre-screen breath test. She was transported to police headquarters for processing.
At her arraignment later that day in Westhampton Beach Village Justice Court, Kabot entered a plea of "not guilty" and was ordered to return to court Sept. 30. Her license was suspended for refusing to submit to a chemical test.
Back in Town Hall on Tuesday, the only comment Kabot would make at the conclusion of the Board meeting was to tell reporters that she was the only one present in her vehicle at the time she was pulled over.
In addition to holding the top post in the town of Southampton, Supervisor Kabot is also up for re-election in November, running as a candidate on both the Republican and Conservative tickets. It is still too soon to tell what impact this charge will have on her candidacy, though Kabot mentioned in her statement Monday that she will "vigorously defend" herself against the charges in court, as well as defend her credibility as a public official.
"I feel this would be a hard situation for any family to go through," offered Southampton Town Councilwoman
Anna Throne-Holst after Tuesday's meeting. Throne-Holst is the Democratic candidate for town supervisor, and will be campaigning against Kabot this Fall. "I hope the community can give her family the privacy and sympathy anyone should be afforded."
Despite the increase in media attention at Town Hall, the meeting went off per standard procedures and there were no public comments made regarding the DWI charge.
Guest (J) from Southampton says:
If she did the right thing..... she would have called a cab or STOPPED DRINKING! She decided to drink, she decided to get behind the wheel of her motor vehicle, she decided to drive. She made her decisions now has to deal with them. And who was in the car with her??? Thank goodness the police offericers were not afraid to do their job and protect OUR innocent children. PS- the cops in Quogue would have gotten her anyway.