'Real Housewives of OC' Star Shannon Beador Sentenced to 3 Years Probation for DUI

The star of the Bravo series avoided jail time in connection to the September DUI crash.

Shannon Beador has been sentenced to three years of probation stemming from a DUI crash in September

The Real Housewives of Orange County star, 59, received her sentence and managed to avoid jail time for the Sept. 16 crash in Newport Beach where she collided into a building, causing $24,000 in damage, according to court documents. 

Her attorney, Michael Fell, said Beador on Thursday received 36 months of informal probation, fines, 40 hours of community service and a nine-month alcohol program after pleading no contest to her charges. 

"The Orange County District Attorney’s Office argued that Shannon should be sentenced to jail and be convicted of DUI and a hit-and-run. But after receiving legal arguments from both sides, the judge denied the prosecutor’s request and dismissed the hit-and-run," Fell said in a statement to ET. "In so ruling, the judge acknowledged that Shannon had made full restitution to the homeowner in this matter, who did not desire prosecution, and admitted her wrongdoing at an early stage of the proceedings." 

“I am grateful that no one else was injured besides me in this incident. I have learned so much from my terrible mistake that night and realize that driving any distance while impaired is too far," Beador said following the sentencing. 

Court documents state Beador was "expelling blood from her left eye which dripped down her face, onto her chest, and on her hands" when first responders arrived at the scene. Police also said she was crying and "stumbling" on the sidewalk after exiting her vehicle. 

In a statement shared with ET, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said he and the DA's office asked for a tougher penalty for the TV star and do not feel that justice was fully served in the case. 

“Driving under the influence must have consequences,” said Spitzer. “When a judge gives someone who not only drove with a blood alcohol level of .24 - three times the legal limit - but then ran away from the scene of an DUI collision a slap on the wrist, you are sending a message that DUIs are not serious crimes that demand accountability."

"Judge London clearly felt otherwise and not only gave her a court offer, but dismissed the hit and run charge in the interest of justice. This is not justice. We as a society need to wake up and address the very real - and often deadly - consequences of driving under the influence. She received 40 hours community service and three years probation and had the hit and run dismissed over our objection," he shared. 

The Housewife was arrested at the time of the incident and was charged in October with one count of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or more, and one count of hit-and-run with property damage. All three charges were misdemeanors. 

According to the criminal complaint obtained by ET, Beador had a blood alcohol concentration of .20 percent or more by weight at the time of the crash. 

ET has reached out to Beador for comment.

The mom of three has remained tight-lipped about the DUI on social media, where she has more than 1 million Instagram followers. 

She eventually broke her silence online after the crash, telling fans that she couldn't get into the specifics of the incident. 

"I know it's been a while since I posted, and it's been a lot of talk about everything that's happened recently, but unfortunately, right now, I'm not in a position to comment," Beador said in a video posted on Oct. 17. 

The TV personality also assured fans that "there will be a time when" she can speak out and said she plans to be "open, honest and authentic."

In September, a person familiar with the crash gave ET an inside scoop on what exactly happened that night. 

"Shannon got home from a night out and realized she left her phone at the place she was at. She wasn't able to call an Uber without her phone and decided to drive back to the place, resulting in the accident," the source told ET. "Shannon is devastated and knows she made a big mistake. She has always been against drinking and driving and never does. She’s telling friends this lapse in judgment won’t happen again."

Around the same time, Beador's attorney, Michael Fell, provided a statement to ET in which he said she is "extremely apologetic and remorseful." 

"Shannon is prepared to accept full responsibility for her actions," he said.

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