San Luis Obispo County Undersheriff Steve Bolts pleaded not guilty to charges that he was driving under the influence.

At a July 21 arraignment hearing, Bolts’ attorney, Chris Casciola, entered the plea before SLO County Superior Court Judge Barry T. LaBarbera. Bolts wasn’t present at the hearing.

Casciola asked that a blood sample Bolts
volunteered the night of his arrest be sent for retesting. He also asked for a court order to
release the police video and audio recordings taken that night.

Atascadero police officers arrested Bolts on the night of June 5 after receiving an anonymous call that the undersheriff (second in command to Sheriff Pat Hedges) had been drinking at a party earlier and was driving with two children in his truck. Police never found any children, but did arrest Bolts for DUI after he failed a field sobriety test. Bolts voluntarily submitted to a blood test after his arrest, in which he tested slightly above the legal limit of .08.

A pretrial hearing was tentatively scheduled for Aug. 23. Carlos Dominguez from the California Office of the Attorney General will prosecute the case, rather than the county District Attorney, to avoid a potential conflict of interest.