Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston has been sentenced to three years of probation and other penalties for driving while under the influence of alcohol last year.
As reported by The Christian Post, Houston pled guilty to a DUI on April 11 after being arrested on February 26, 2022. The megachurch pastor was caught driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or more. He also failed to have two license plates on the vehicle he was driving.
During the April 11 trial, Houston changed his initial "not guilty" plea to "guilty" for the charge of driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or more. The charge for failing to display the license plates, however, was dismissed.
Houston was sentenced to three years of probation, given a $140 fine and mandated to complete a three-month first-offender alcohol program by May 11; victim impact counseling by July 10; and attend self-help meetings for a period of one year until April 11, 2024.
Houston will face additional sentencing because his blood alcohol level was reportedly 0.20 percent, or "blackout drunk."
"Drivers who are convicted of the DUI and this enhancement are required to take a longer alcohol education program and often face harsher penalties," Kraut Law Group explains on its website, according to The Christian Post. "A BAC of 0.20 percent is two and a half times the legal limit, and drivers who have high BACs are more likely to cause collisions while on the road. As a result, the California legislature has increased penalties for drivers who drive under the influence with high BACs, even if they have no prior DUI offenses."
Houston stepped down from his role as Hillsong's global senior pastor last March following charges of misconduct laid against him.
Last April, Houston confessed that he used alcohol to cope with the challenges he was facing in his life, CBN News reports.
"Many people have asked – 'How do you continue to get up, cope, and keep going?' And now we know the answer. I haven't coped very well at all. I openly admit that alcohol has been no friend, and I am determined to relegate it to my past," Houston wrote.
Last month, Houston released a statement on Facebook highlighting the events that led to him leaving Hillsong.
"Thirteen months have passed since that incident occurred, and I am now in a much stronger place within my spirit and soul. I am grateful to God for His sustenance and grace..." he wrote.
Related:
Brian Houston Reveals He Was Charged with DUI in 2022
8 Testify against Brian Houston in Sex Abuse Cover-up Case
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images-Brian A Jackson
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
