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Riverbank Councilman Pleads Not Guilty To Felony DUI

MODESTO (CBS13) - The embattled Riverbank city councilman accused of child endangerment and felony drunken driving appeared before a judge Wednesday.

Jesse James White
Riverbank City Councilman Jesse James White appears in Stanislaus Superior Court facing felony charges next to his defense attorney, Mary Lynn Belsher, on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. (credit: Bart Ah You/Modesto Bee)

Jesse James White, 23, pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance.

Last month White allegedly fled a crash and left his 4-year-old son bleeding in White's banged up Corvette. Witnesses reportedly held him down until police arrived.

According to a court document, White's blood alcohol level during the incident was .24, three times the legal driving limit.

White declined to comment at the Stanislaus County Courthouse on Wednesday, but his attorney lashed out at the media coverage. When she was asked if White is going to alcohol rehab, Mary Lynn Belsher barked, "That's not your business."

When asked how she would prove White's innocence, she replied, "Well that's not your concern now, is it? Your concern is selling newspapers, selling airtime."

White's critics, including Riverbank Mayor Virginia Madueño, have called for his resignation. She's also asked that he produce a doctor's note after missing every City Council meeting since his arrest Feb. 20.

White is due back in court next month.

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