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A PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW.
REST OF WEEK IS DRY BUT STAYS
QUITE COLD.
THAT'S YOUR LATEST
WEATHER.
>> ALL RIGHT, AL.
THANK YOU.
>>> OPENING STATEMENTS BEGIN
TODAY IN THE DRIVING TRIAL OF
KERRY KENNEDY.
AND IT STEMS FROM A 2012
ACCIDENT IN NORTH CASTLE, NEW
YORK, ABOUT AN HOUR NORTH OF
MANHATTAN.
KATY TUR WITH THE LATEST ON THIS
STORY.
>> GOOD MORNING, SAVANNAH.
THE 54-YEAR-OLD FACING A
MISDEMEANOR DRIVING UNDER THE
INFLUENCE CHARGE SHE SAID WAS
THE RESULT OF A MIX-UP WITH HER
MEDICATION.
>> SHE'S FINE AND READY TO GO TO
TRIAL AND HOPEFULLY HAPPY TO GET
THIS OVER WITH.
>> Reporter: KERRY KENNEDY DUE
IN COURT LATER TODAY ON TRIAL
FOR A MISDEMEANOR CHARGE OF
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF
AN ACCIDENT THAT STEMS FROM AN
ACCIDENT.
>> I REMEMBER GETTING ON THE
HIGHWAY AND THEN I HAVE NO
MEMORY UNTIL I WAS STOPPED AT A
TRAFFIC LIGHT AND A POLICE
OFFICER WAS AT MY CAR DOOR.
>> Reporter: OFFICERS DESCRIBED
HER AS, QUOTE, SWAYING AND SHE
HAD IMPAIRED SPEECH.
A TOXICOLOGY REPORT SHOWED THAT
KENNEDY HAD SMALL TRACES OF A
GENERIC FORM OF AMBIEN IN HER
BLOODSTREAM.
>> I TOLD THE OFFICER IT WAS
POSSIBLE I HAD MISTAKENLY TAKEN
AN AMBIEN EARLIER THAT MORNING.
>> HER LAWYER SAYS SHE
OCCASIONALLY TAKES IT WHEN
FLYING INTERNATIONALLY.
HE ARGUES THAT THAT MEDICATION
AND HER THYROID MEDICATION COME
IN SIMILAR PRESCRIPTION BOTTLES
AND THE PILLS ARE A SIMILAR
SHAPE AND COLOR.
>> IT IS NOT A CRIME IF IT'S AN
ACCIDENTAL INGESTION.
>> IF THE JURY BELIEVES THAT SHE
DIDN'T KNOWINGLY TAKE THIS, THEN
THAT WOULD BE THE HEART OF THE
DEFENSE, THE CRUX OF THE DEFENSE
IN THIS CASE, THEN THE JURY
WOULD HAVE TO ACQUIT.
>> WHILE PROSECUTORS ARE
EXPECTED TO ARGUE THAT ONCE
KENNEDY BEGAN TO FEEL DROWSY
FROM THE MEDICATION, SHE
SHOULD'VE GOTTEN OFF THE ROAD.
>> KENNEDY'S LEGAL TEAM TURNED
DOWN A PLEA DEAL THAT WOULD'VE
RESULTED IN A THREE-MONTH
SUSPENSION ON HER LICENSE.
IF CONVICTED, SHE COULD FACE A
YEAR IN JAIL FINE AND A
SUSPENDED LICENSE.
NOW HER BROTHER RFK JR. IS
COMING TO HER DEFENSE ARGUING A
CONVICTION COULD BE DEVASTATING
TO THE HUMANITARIAN WORK SHE