RHOP’s Karen Huger Demands Crash Witness Not Be Able to Testify About Her Being ‘Clearly Wasted’

   

Real Housewives of Potomac star Karen Huger demanded the man who accused her of being “wasted” following her March car crash not be allowed to tell the jury that at her trial, In Touch can exclusively report.

According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Karen, 61, asked the judge to not allow Ed Caldwell to tell the jury that she appeared “confused and disoriented” following her single car crash on March 19 in Potomac, Maryland.

The reality star, who was driving a 2017 Maserati, crossed a median and hit multiple streets signs, according to police. Ed, who was working as a neighborhood security officer, arrived at the accident scene shortly after the crash. Montgomery County Police officers then arrived. Ed told police that he saw Karen behind the driver’s seat.

“I detected what I believed to be the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle’s interior,” Ed wrote in a written statement.

Karen Huger DUI

Amanda Edwards / Getty

He also told police that Karen smelled of alcohol and that she was “clearly wasted,” in a statement made on body cam. Karen was arrested and charged with DUI and several other counts. Her two-day jury trial is scheduled for December.

In her motion, Karen said she learned that Ed is a retired Montgomery County police officer who worked for the department for 30 years.

Karen’s motion said, “Ed Caldwell is an essential witness for the state.” Her lawyer said Ed should not be allowed to mention that fact that he worked for the police. Her attorney said the information was not relevant to the case.

“He is not an investigating officer, arresting officer, or expert witness in this matter,” Karen’s lawyer argued. “Therefore, his prior Montgomery County Police Officer qualifications are not relevant in this care.”

Karen’s team believed that telling the jury that Ed was a police officer could add unfair credibility to his witness testimony. “Ed Caldwell is not an expert DUI witness,” Karen’s lawyer added.

Karen Huger Case

Paul Archuleta / Getty

“The jury would be unduly influenced by the fact that he is a retired Montgomery County Police officer and give too much credibility to his opinion that Karen appeared confused and disoriented, that he detected what he believed to be the order of an alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicles interior and that Karen was in his opinion ‘Clearly Wasted.’ Ed Caldwell is going to testify about his observations of Karen on the scene after the accident; that he smelled alcohol in the vehicle or on her person; Upon information and belief, he is also going to testify that in his opinion Karen was ‘Clearly Wasted.’ Performing the balancing test, the court can determine that admitting the above proposed testimony by Ed Caldwell would unduly influence the jury to convict Karen of Driving while under the Influence or Driving while Impaired by alcohol,” her lawyers wrote.