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The Bachelor alum Melissa Rycroft was officially charged with a misdemeanor over her arrest for alleged drunk driving, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
On Friday, October 24, prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against the former reality star, 42, for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and for having an alcohol concentration level of “0.15 or more at the time” her blood analysis was performed.
Per Texas law, an individual faces a mandatory three days in jail and up to 180 days in jail for a first incident of driving under the influence.
The prosecutors’ criminal charge come weeks after Rycroft was arrested on September 23 in Tarrant County, Texas.
A hearing has been scheduled for next month.
As Us previously reported, Rycroft spent eight hours behind bars after being taken into custody for an alleged DWI.
TMZ reported a police report that alleged Rycroft was involved in a hit-and-run before her arrest. The former Melissa & Tye star reportedly told police that a driver had hit her car and fled the scene. An eyewitness told police a different story, claiming there was no other car involved and Rycroft had been swerving before the incident.
Rycroft’s black Cadillac Escalade was reportedly damaged on the side and a nearby tree had damage, per TMZ.
Per the report, Rycroft had “bloodshot eyes” and “slurred speech” while talking to officials. Another officer claimed Rycroft had a “slight odor of a metabolized alcoholic beverage” on her breath.
In addition, TMZ reported that police found “fresh droplets of colored liquid substances and spilled liquids inside the vehicle.” Officers believed the liquid was alcohol.
Following her release from jail, Rycroft’s lawyer Brett Martin told TMZ, “I want to remind the public of the fundamental principle of our justice system…every individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We, as a society, have gotten completely away from this fundamental concept. My Client was arrested on the allegation of Driving While Intoxicated. An arrest is no indication of guilt.”
He continued, “It is imperative that we closely examine the circumstances of this case-including the conduct of law enforcement, the toxicology results, and the facts surrounding her arrest-before any conclusions are drawn. We respectfully request that the media and the public allow the legal process to unfold, and withhold any judgment whatsoever until all of the evidence has been properly analyzed and presented in a court of law.”
On October 6, Rycroft spoke out on social media for the first time since her arrest. She said she was “struggling.”
Rycroft responded to a fan on Instagram, writing, “Life really sucks right now and I’m struggling, but I’m trying to march forward.”
The comment Rycroft had responded to read, “Some people would have the world believe that they have never made a mistake,” the fan wrote after Rycroft’s DWI arrest. “I made the same mistake over 2 years ago because of a perfect storm of bad life events. There’s no excuse, but it happened.”
“Don’t ever forget that you are beautiful, loved and blessed. But most of all, you are human. Things happen. Life happens. Be grateful that it wasn’t worse and move forward with grace.”
Rycroft became a household name after winning season 13 of The Bachelor, which aired in 2009.
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During the season, Jason Mesnick gave Rycroft his final rose, but then decided to break up and get together with the runner-up, Molly Mesnick (née Malaney).
Jason, 49, and Molly, 41, wed in 2010.
Rycroft went on to marry Tye Strickland in 2009. The couple shares three children: Ava, 14, and sons Beckett, 11, and Cayson, 9.
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