Karen Huger’s DUI Trial Starts as Body Cam Footage is Revealed

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Credit: Shannon Finney/Bravo

This week, Karen Huger began the trial over her alleged DUI crash, and a witness claimed the Real Housewives of Potomac star told first responders, “Go f**k yourselves.” Plus, body cam footage showed Karen telling an officer, “I hate you.”

Back in March, authorities claimed Karen crossed over a median, collided with a street sign, and totaled her car. She reportedly refused a field sobriety test and breathalyzer. After the crash, Karen was charged with Driving a Vehicle While Impaired by Alcohol.

Per a July motion, Karen’s lawyers claimed the evidence was collected from an illegal search and seizure, and they attempted to have the case dismissed. 

According to Fox 5, Karen started her trial this week. Yesterday in court, a witness of the wreckage claimed the vehicle smelled of alcohol.

Two cops and a volunteer EMT also testified on Tuesday. The emergency medical technician said Karen refused to be treated, and she “swayed” when she attempted to enter the ambulance.

The EMT then claimed that after Karen got in the ambulance, she told first responders to “go f**k yourselves” and “f**k off” more than once. But she complimented a female firefighter several minutes later.

“You’re so pretty, and you’re so beautiful,” recalled the EMT of Karen’s comments.

The jury also saw footage from a body cam of a police officer who arrested the star. He could be heard telling Karen that she was “hammered” while she seemingly slurred her words.

“This is bulls—t,” said Karen in the audio. “I hate you, you know that?”

Defense Attorney Kush Arora, who isn’t associated with Karen’s case, said it’s somewhat unusual that the star’s legal team didn’t first try their case in District Court before going to trial.

“If a DUI case is, for example, in the District Court, usually, it’s the appropriate thing to have your trial in the district court. Try to win there, or at least try to win on some of the charges,” said the attorney. She added that if the defendant doesn’t get a favorable outcome in district court, they can bring the charges to the circuit level.

According to Kush, body cam footage may be critical in a case like Karen’s.

“Over the last several years it’s been available to us, it’s been a game changer with respect to DUI cases because it really gives us an opportunity to put eyes on the situation, a situation that oftentimes doesn’t make it to court for months, perhaps people’s memories fade, information is not as clear,” said the lawyer. “The body camera footage really helps clear that up, and I think a finder of that … whether it’s a judge or a jury … is going to rely heavily on that information when making a determination about that evidence in the case.”

Her trial is anticipated to take at least two days.