Months after a drunken driving conviction and a subsequent probation violation, the Naples mayor is now asking the court to allow her to travel beyond Collier County.
Mayor Teresa Heitmann, 62, was arrested on a warrant that accused her of violating her probation on April 20 after she tested positive for cannabinoids, court documents state.
In February, she had pleaded no contest to one count of DUI with a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 or higher stemming from her Aug. 28, 2024, arrest. She was sentenced to one year of probation, which included not consuming alcohol and subjected her to random screenings.
After Heitmann was arrested again in April, a Collier County judge set her bond to $10,000 and restricted her travel outside Collier County except for work purposes.
Heitmann’s lawyer, Derek Verderamo, filed a motion with the court on July 2 on Heitmann’s behalf requesting that the court remove the travel restriction.
According to the motion, Heitmann “is not a flight risk and has never missed a court event” and she will provide the dates and locations of travel if the court permits her to travel outside the county. The judge did not immediately rule at a hearing Monday, July 6.
Heitmann is to appear in court for a probation hearing on Aug. 17.
Why is the mayor on probation?
Naples Police arrested Heitmann nearly 2 years ago, on August 28, 2024, on charges of driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of 0.169, more than double the legal limit.
A motorist accused her of chasing him to his house, tailgating and flashing the lights of her Porsche at the other vehicle, according to her arrest report.
The 911 caller, who Heitmann followed home, told the police that Heitmann “sounded very drunk.”
After performing various field sobriety tests and a breath test, Naples police said, officers found probable cause to arrest Heitmann.
Heitmann and her attorney fought the DUI case for over a year until, in February, she pleaded no contest to the charge.
She was sentenced to one year of probation, in addition to nearly a dozen other restrictions, as follows:
Who is Teresa Heitmann? Four things to know
Tayeba Hussein is a breaking news reporter for The News-Press & Naples Daily News. Reach her at thussein@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples mayor, convicted of drunken driving, asks court to allow travel
Reporting by Tayeba Hussein, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tayeba Hussein, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
