Early Wednesday morning, a Massachusetts Democrat state representative was arrested after crashing into a parked car near the State House while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Rep. John Law was charged with two misdemeanors — one for drunk driving and the other for leaving the scene after the accident.
BREAKING: Massachusetts Democrat State Rep. John Lawn ARRESTED and charged for drunk driving and leaving the scene after he crashed pic.twitter.com/hzcZx0YfAa
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 17, 2025
Reportedly, Rep. Law was leaving a State House event around 1:45 AM when he smashed into the parked vehicle.
The Boston Herald reported:
Lawn’s SUV, the officer noted in his report, appeared to be “leaning to one side” as it was parked on Bowdoin Street near the intersection with Beacon Street. The officer noted “extreme damage to the passenger side front wheel … turned to an extreme degree not consistent with normal vehicle operations.”
The officer also noted “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” coming from Lawn, and that his eyes were “glassy and bloodshot, and his speech was slurred.” Lawn said he was driving from an event at the State House, according to the police report.
The last scheduled event for Tuesday was sponsored by Lawn, according to the published State House events schedule for this week. However, that event, a “Legislative Committee Public Hearing” in the Gardner Auditorium, was scheduled to last from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The person who flagged the police down said he saw the Yukon strike a parked Toyota Tundra pickup truck on Hancock Street before then blowing past multiple stop signs without stopping, according to the police report.
The police officers ordered Lawn to exit the vehicle and noted that “he had difficulty maintaining his balance” and dropped his license and a credit card on the ground, according to the police report.
Lawn then proceeded to bomb a field sobriety test, according to the police report. The report notes that Lawn continually failed to follow instructions and even stabilized himself using both the police officer conducting the tests and a fence post. Lawn then refused to submit to a breathalyzer test.
“You know what I’d rather do,” Lawn allegedly told the officer, “I want to take an Uber and go home.”
He was instead arrested, and he allegedly continued with drunken antics at the Nashua Street Jail.
According to the police report, officers there had to steady him as he walked and that he made a mess of a urine sample process. Lawn allegedly couldn’t figure out how to do the test, and when he finally peed into the cup, he allegedly then dumped it all into the toilet and handed the intake nurse the empty cup.
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This raises some serious questions, the most concerning of which is: Why is a state lawmaker getting drunk during a session?
The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance released this statement:
🚨 Rep. John Lawn's late-night OUI arrest outside the State House raises serious transparency questions! 🚗💥
It's time for the Audit the Legislature law to be enforced NOW.📊✅
No more secrets. The people deserve the truth. 👀⚖️ pic.twitter.com/BJHTihnSfD
— Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance (@MassFiscal) July 16, 2025
The fact that a sitting lawmaker was leaving a State House event at nearly 2:00 a.m. before being arrested for drunk driving and fleeing the scene of an accident raises serious questions about what exactly is going on behind those closed doors,” MFA Executive Director Paul Diego Craney wrote in a statement. “The public deserves to know what kind of event was taking place, who was involved, and what the legislature is doing to hold itself accountable.
The Massachusetts GOP is now calling for Rep. Law’s resignation.
They released the following statement:
“Wednesday’s arrest is another example of Beacon Hill Democrats using their titles to try and avoid punishment. By declaring himself a lawmaker at the time of his arrest, it’s clear Rep. Lawn sought to escape the consequences of his actions. He should resign and offer the… https://t.co/uApcFyO9K4
— MassGOP (@massgop) July 16, 2025
“Wednesday’s arrest is another example of Beacon Hill Democrats using their titles to try and avoid punishment. By declaring himself a lawmaker at the time of his arrest, it’s clear Rep. Lawn sought to escape the consequences of his actions. He should resign and offer the residents of Watertown the chance to elect a new representative who doesn’t ask officers to look the other way when he allegedly breaks the law,” said MassGOP spokesman Mark Steffen.
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Amid calls to resign, Rep. Law refused to answer any questions from local reporter Penny Kmitt:
Today I tried to ask State Rep John Lawn if he would be resigning after allegedly driving drunk through Beacon Hill and leaving the scene of a crash. He didn’t answer any of my questions. @wbz pic.twitter.com/yYCVA3peG8
— Penny Kmitt (@pennylikeacoin) July 17, 2025
But, don’t worry.
Rep. Law says he is very sorry about all this and that it won’t happen again!
Here’s his statement, from WCVB:
In a statement released Wednesday, Lawn took full responsibility and called his actions “completely unacceptable.”
“I deeply regret and take full responsibility for my actions. What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses. I am committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again,” he said. “To my family, friends, and constituents, I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry.”
Today I tried to ask State Rep John Lawn if he would be resigning after allegedly driving drunk through Beacon Hill and leaving the scene of a crash. He didn’t answer any of my questions. @wbz pic.twitter.com/yYCVA3peG8
— Penny Kmitt (@pennylikeacoin) July 17, 2025
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