BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — In a surprising development, a Superior Court judge on Tuesday declared a mistrial in the trial of Alan Booth, accused of driving drunk when his pickup struck and injured multiple people at the 2023 Bakersfield Christmas Parade.
The announcement came in the midst of jury selection, with Judge Brian M. McNamara telling potential jurors he granted the mistrial based on the absence of defense attorney Jeremy Brehmer due to medical reasons.
The potential jurors have been excused, and Booth now won’t stand trial until April 20 at the earliest.
Booth, 74, faces multiple felony counts in connection with the crash. His blood alcohol-content was allegedly 0.28%, more than three times the legal limit.
Last month, Booth was found guilty of misdemeanor DUI charges for driving drunk months after the crash. In that case, he drove to Jim Burke Ford to get a tire repaired and was arrested after providing breath samples that returned BAC readings of 0.231 and 0.233%.
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