Del. Don Dwyer Apologizes to Colleagues: 'I've Made Some Serious Mistakes'

Embattled Maryland Del. Don Dwyer Jr. (R-District 31) issued an apology to his colleagues on Friday for two drunk driving incidents—including one that injured four children.

Dwyer is serving a total of 30 weekends in jail after being convicted of driving drunk—once behind the wheel of a vehicle and once at the helm of a boat, the latter of which involved a crash in which six people were injured. 

Following his conviction in October, Dwyer was removed from the House Judiciary Committee and assigned to the Ways and Means Committee. But last week, Dwyer was stripped of his committee assignments by House Speaker Michael Busch, who told The Baltimore Sun that he did so "to protect the integrity of the House of Delegates."

At the Maryland House of Delegates' first session of 2014 on Friday, Dwyer issued a public apology in the legislative chambers. Dwyer's words can be heard in a recording by Annapolis radio station WNAV.

"I would like the public to please recognize that I'm a human being, not unlike any others in this chamber. I've made some serious mistakes and I'll regret them the rest of my life," Dwyer said.

Dwyer said Thursday that despite calls for his resignation, he had every intention to continue serving as his district's delegate.