Rima Fakih, Ex Miss USA, Pled No Contest to DUI Charge
Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih has pled no contest in her DUI case related to her December arrest.
The 26-year-old was arrested in Michigan under suspicion of drunk driving. Her plea admits that she was driving while visibly impaired.
Ahead of the court hearing, Fakih posted a message on Twitter to her nearly 40,000 followers.
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"Today is the big day…pray for me guys! Love u," posted the former Miss USA.
Her prayer request may have worked, as the court hearing ended in her favor. Driving while visibly impaired is a much lesser offense than the other charges Fakih faced in her DUI trial. The beauty queen avoided charges of drunken driving, careless driving, and having an open container of alcohol.
In Fakih had been convicted of misdemeanor drunk driving, she could have served up to 93 days in jail.
"You learn, you pay your price for making mistakes and you move on," said Fakih after leaving the courthouse in Highland Park, Michigan on Wednesday, reported the Associated Press.
"I'm very happy I can put this behind me," she added. "I'm just going to move on and make sure I learn my lessons."
The beauty queen was the first Arab-American contestant to win the Miss USA title two years ago. The one-time reigning queen is expected to serve probation in California where, according to her lawyer, she will "get on with being a Hollywood kind of person."
Police reported that Fakih was traveling 30 miles over the speed limit on Dec. 3 when the officers found an opened and half-emptied bottle of champagne in the car.
One breath test reportedly revealed that the beauty queen's blood alcohol content was at 2.20 percent, while another put it at 0.19 percent. The legal limit is .08 percent.
Following the arrest, Miss USA 2010 posted on Twitter, "Let's clear things up now. I'm NOT in Michigan and I'm NOT in jail! Wrong Fakih." The tweet was later removed from her account.
Also after the incident, Fakih's attorney, Doraid Elder, confirmed the arrest and told People magazine that the beauty queen was "very saddened and very apologetic for the situation that she's in right now."
