The term of office for a Berlin Green Party district lawmaker comes to a close when she gets behind the wheel after drinking too much. "I want to express my deepest regrets for this wrongdoing," Jutta Boden said.
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| Jutta Boden |
A Green Party lawmaker from Berlin's Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district has stepped down from her position after being caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of more than 1.3 milligrams and flashing the Hitler salute. "Bild" broke the story on Saturday, citing a police report.
In an interview with the German Press Agency on Sunday, Jutta Boden verified the news stories. Boden expressed his dissatisfaction with his actions during a police stop and driving while inebriated in a written statement. My deepest condolences for this misconduct. I am stepping down as a district councilor so that I can own up to my mistakes.
Boden, a district councilor in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, was pulled over by the police on the A115 late on Saturday night. Drunk driving was the suspicion of the cops.
It turned out that the cops were right: The 63-year-old's breath alcohol level was 1.34 parts per mille, according to the report. Because of this, she had no choice but to get out of her vehicle at Dreilinden, Brandenburg, which is located just outside of the city boundaries of Berlin in the southwest, and sit in the police car.
The communications graduate allegedly then made two Hitler salute gestures, as detailed in the police report. Some people also said "Heil Hitler" in such context. In an interview with "Bild," the district legislator allegedly denied the occurrence at first, but then admitted it.
Her own words indicate that all she intended to do was voice her dissatisfaction with the way the police had handled her. Instead of giving the Hitler salute, she would have demanded to know why they were treating her so badly. Her right arm would have been raised when she pronounced these words, but the words "Heil Hitler" would not have been spoken.
Boden seemed sorry in an email that came later. She feels her conduct was "unacceptable" and that she behaved "inappropriately" during the police inspection. The Green lawmaker plans to retire from office in order to own up to her mistakes.
In addition to serving on the district council's health, participation, and culture committees, Boden also served on the previous two. From 2012 to 2016, she was a member of the BVV, and she is now a member again in 2019. The University of the Arts in Berlin is, by her own admission, her favorite spot in the city.
Source: BILD, TAGESSPIEGEL