Ex-Southampton Official Kabot Not Guilty In DWI Case

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/ CBS 2)-- Former Southampton Town Supervisor Linda Kabot was found not guilty of DWI on Friday, 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reported.

Kabot, supported by her husband and attorney, was on pins and needles waiting for the jury to decide her fate.

Back on Labor Day weekend of 2009 -- eight weeks before the November election -- the well-known Hamptons politician was handcuffed and hauled off to jail on drunk-driving charges. Police tailed her as she drifted over a double yellow line, turning on their dashboard camera in the process, reports CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan.

"I'm coming from East Moriches. I'm Linda Kabot," the politician is heard saying on the video.

Officer: "Have you had anything to drink tonight?"

Kabot: "I did. I had a glass of wine, maybe two, at my sister's birthday. I didn't think I was swerving at all."

Two Westhampton Beach police officers began a three-part field sobriety test. Kabot's horizontal gaze was checked. She asked to remove her two-inch heels before walking a straight line.

The jury watched the video spellbound as Kabot could be heard refusing three times to take a breath test to see whether she had been drinking.

Kabot: "You have no business on Labor Day weekend, okay? And you've chosen me."

Officer: "You refuse to take the test?"

Kabot: "Yes, I refuse to take this test. You think I am intoxicated and that's why you pulled me over. I feel that I'm not intoxicated."

SEE THE VIDEO: Police arrest former Southampton Town Supervisor Linda Kabot

Kabot was in the middle of a re-election campaign when she was arrested. Her attorney has suggested she was the victim of a set-up because she favored budget cuts in the town.

Kabot had claimed she was a victim of a conspiracy and wasn't drunk at all. The jury agreed with at least the latter, acquitting her of the charges.

"Well, as you can see, there are tears in my eyes. Certainly I am joyful. And at the same time am a bit overwhelmed," Kabot said.

Two months after the arrest, Kabot, a Republican, lost her re-election bid. Her political future may now be resurrected.

If she had been convicted of drunk driving, Kabot would have faced a year in jail and three years probation. Instead, she must pay only a $200 fine for rolling through a stop sign.