Arizona state lawmaker apologizes for saying he has ‘immunity’ from speeding violation

An Arizona state lawmaker has apologized for telling a sheriff’s deputy to not penalize him for speeding because he has “legislative immunity,” calling his comments inappropriate.

State Rep. Paul Mosley (R) wrote in a Facebook post Thursday that his “desire to get home to see my family does not justify how fast I was speeding nor my reference to legislative immunity when being pulled over.”

“Legislative immunity is a serious responsibility and should not be taken lightly or abused,” he added.

{mosads}

Mosley also said that his “jokes” about often driving over 100 miles an hour while commuting to and from the state capitol were “entirely inappropriate and showed extremely bad judgement on my part, for which I am truly sorry.”

Mosley was pulled over in March for driving 97 miles per hour in a 55 mile-per-hour zone, according to a police report published Wednesday.

“Mosley stated he was just in a hurry to get home to surprise his family in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Mosley also told me that I should just let him go and that I shouldn’t waste anymore of my time dealing with him due to his immunity as a government official,” the deputy wrote in the report.

Arizona law states that “Members of the legislature shall be privileged from arrest in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, and they shall not be subject to any civil process during the session of the legislature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement of each session.” 

Video from the officer’s body cam footage also showed Mosley telling the officer that he sometimes drives faster, at “120, 130.”

“Yeah, this goes 140. That’s what I like about it,” the lawmaker can be heard saying while laughing, referring to the car.