Ex-Salt Lake City councilwoman pleads guilty to impaired driving

Former Salt Lake City Councilwoman Amy Fowler speaks at a press conference at the Salt Lake City-County Building in Salt Lake City on Jan. 16, 2020. Fowler pleaded guilty to impaired driving in Springville on Thursday.

Former Salt Lake City Councilwoman Amy Fowler speaks at a press conference at the Salt Lake City-County Building in Salt Lake City on Jan. 16, 2020. Fowler pleaded guilty to impaired driving in Springville on Thursday. (Ivy Ceballo, Deseret News)


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SPRINGVILLE — A former Salt Lake City councilwoman has admitted to driving impaired in a case that led to her stepping down from the council last year.

Amy Nichole Fowler, 45, of Salt Lake City, pleaded guilty to impaired driving, a class B misdemeanor, in Springville Justice Court on Thursday, according to court records. Documents show that she was sentenced to 12 months of probation, ordered to pay a $1,420 fine and attend an alcohol and drug education program as a part of the plea deal.

Fowler was originally charged with DUI, also a class B misdemeanor, on May 6, 2023, days after she was arrested by a Utah Highway Patrol trooper in Springville.

UHP officials said that troopers had originally responded to a report of a minor crash on I-15 in Murray and were able to gather information that led them to Fowler, who agreed to pull over in Springville after she was contacted. A trooper who met up with her reported smelling alcohol on her breath before arresting her.

She admitted she was "in actual physical control of a vehicle" with a blood alcohol level of 0.111, more than twice the legal limit in Utah, that day, according to the plea agreement.

Fowler, who had represented Sugar House in the Salt Lake City Council since 2018, apologized for the incident and announced she would take a 30-day leave from her council responsibilities a week after the arrest.

"It has sincerely been an eye-opening experience for me and it's truly made me reflect on my relationship with alcohol and the decisions that I have made," she said at the time. "I am deeply committed to working through these issues with my therapist and my God."

She ultimately decided to resign from office, formally stepping down in July.

The City Council voted to name Sarah Young as the district's replacement for the remainder of 2023 shortly after the seat became vacant. Young was elected in November and sworn in on Tuesday to complete the final two years of Fowler's term.

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Carter Williams is a reporter for KSL.com. He covers Salt Lake City, statewide transportation issues, outdoors, the environment and weather. He is a graduate of Southern Utah University.
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