A Toronto city councillor who was charged with impaired driving early Tuesday morning says she will fight the charge.
Ana Bailao was pulled over at 1:47 a.m. near Bathurst and Harbord Streets after officers noticed that her headlights were not on.
She was subsequently charged under the criminal code with impaired driving.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank all my constituents, colleagues, family and friends who have shown their support for me,” Bailao told reporters in her first public remarks since the incident on Wednesday. “I intend to plead not guilty and I am confident I will be able to demonstrate that their faith in me is not misplaced.”
Bailao was seen at the mayor’s gala for the arts at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Monday night but colleagues who were with her said she left the event well before midnight.
On Wednesday the councillor for Ward 18 refused to say where she was coming from or how many drinks she had consumed when she was pulled over.
“As you can appreciate, this is still being investigated and is before the courts and out of respect for the process, my lawyer has advised me not to comment (on the incident),” she said.
Though Bailao told reporters that her legal troubles would not effect her work as a city councillor, Carolyn Swinson of MADD Canada said Bailao should resign if found guilty.
“Anybody who is in the public eye and who is a public representative should be held to a higher standard,” she said. “You expect those people to be setting a better example.”
Bailao’s first court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 3.
Speaking with reporters following Bailao’s remarks Wednesday, Coun. Doug Ford urged Torontonians not to rush to judgment.
“She is innocent until proven guilty and we should let the courts decide on that,” he said. “Ana is a great councillor, a good person and she had a bad night.”
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