Huntington Beach Official Accused of DUI

The Huntington Beach city attorney was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving early Wednesday after being spotted driving on the wrong side of Main Street downtown, authorities said.

Jennifer McGrath, 37, was booked into the city jail on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence and was released on her own recognizance, police said.

“She was stopped for driving on the wrong side of the road,” Lt. Irwin Feuerstein, a spokesman for the Huntington Beach Police Department, said of the arrest shortly after midnight.

McGrath was alone in an SUV when she was stopped, Feuerstein said. After her arrest, he said, she consented to a blood test. The results of that test, Feuerstein said, are pending.

Huntington Beach Mayor Dave Sullivan, reached late Wednesday, declined to comment on the arrest.

McGrath, who was elected city attorney in 2002, also declined to discuss the matter in detail but released a statement.

“I made a mistake,” she said. “I am taking responsibility for my actions and the consequences thereto. I deeply apologize for any embarrassment I have caused the city, my family or my friends, and I can assure all of you that this will never happen again.”

Before reading the statement to a reporter Wednesday evening, McGrath made only one comment. “It’s been a hard day,” she said.