SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio City Councilman Marc Whyte will have to complete DWI classes and undertake community service as part of a plea deal stemming from his arrest last December, when he was pulled over for allegedly driving drunk on the north side.
The plea deal, accepted by the District 10 council representative on Wednesday, also replaces his Driving While Intoxicated charge with an Obstruction of a Highway charge, according to online records. It essentially wipes the DWI offense from the first-term city leader's record as he prepares for a potential reelection campaign next spring.
"I've learned from this situation, taken ownership of it and now put it behind me," Whyte said in a statement to KENS 5. "As we move forward, I'm fully focused, as I always have been, on the work I've been doing for District 10 and the City of San Antonio."
His attorney offered no additional comment.
Whyte was pulled over along the Loop 410 access road around 11 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2023, when San Antonio police officials say he showed signs of intoxication, according to records. He was arrested before posting bail and being released the next day.
An arrest warrant said Whyte was seen driving 80 mph in a 65 mph zone before changing lanes without signaling and drifting in and out. He also refused to submit to a blood or breathalyzer test, according to records, and the officer who pulled him over reported Whyte's eyes were glossy-red while his breath smelled strongly of alcohol.
Whyte was unanimously censured by the mayor and his City Council colleagues in January, and briefly removed from his committee assignments. But he wasn't formally charged with DWI until months later, in July. That made him the second straight council representative from District 10 to face the offense after Clayton Perry receives deferred adjudication in his case in the spring of 2023.
He faced the possibility of up to 180 days in jail or a $2,000 fine if convicted, but the district attorney's office on Wednesday cited "the potential inability to reach a favorable outcome at trial" after it reviewed "all evidence in the case."
"In accepting the plea agreement, Mr. Whyte acknowledges accountability for his actions and demonstrates a commitment to the consequences of driving while intoxicated," Bexar County DA Joe Gonzales said in a statement. "Our justice system aims to hold individuals responsible while fostering rehabilitation, and this resolution reflects a balanced pursuit of both justice and personal accountability."
Per the details of his plea deal, Whyte will have to complete 48 hours of community service, partake in DWI education classes and a "victim impact panel," and have his urine tested twice per month as part of a six-month probation period. He's also required to pay $1,140 in fines, fees and court costs.