A “Real Housewives of Orange County” cast member who had a warrant issued for her arrest when her attorney failed to appear in court for her on DUI charges had her legal troubles straightened out in court Friday by a new lawyer.
As is usual in misdemeanor cases, Gina Kirschenheiter, 34, was not required to appear in court Thursday for her arraignment. But when her attorney failed to appear on her behalf, an Orange County Superior Court judge at the Harbor Justice Center issued a warrant for her arrest.
Kirschenheiter hired attorney Michael Fell on Thursday night and the lawyer went before the judge Friday morning to get the warrant recalled and to two pending traffic tickets dismissed. She is scheduled to be arraigned April 16.
Kirschenheiter, who joined the “Housewives” cast last season and whose divorce was a major storyline on the show, was pulled over on Jan. 30 near her home in Coto de Caza.
She was charged Feb. 15 with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08, both misdemeanors. The criminal complaint alleges Kirschenheiter’s blood-alcohol level was .20.
Fell said his client wants to use her case to warn others of the risks of driving impaired.
“She wants to use this opportunity to educate people about the dangers of drinking and driving and to educate about the law,” he said. ” She wants to show how really easy it is to get a DUI. There’s a lot of people out there who don’t realize those two glasses of wine can not only put you over the limit, but impair you for the purposes of driving.”