NAPLES, Fla. — The DUI criminal case against Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann has been delayed again, with court records showing her latest hearing, calendar call, and jury trial have all been canceled.
Court records show this is the sixth time a scheduled hearing or court event has been canceled since her August 2024 arrest.
LISTEN TO THE 911 CALL THAT SET OFF THE DUI CASE AGAINST NAPLES MAYOR TERESA HEITMANN:
Heitmann, 62, was arrested in August 2024 and charged with driving under the influence after allegedly following a couple to their home in her Porsche. According to the arrest report, her blood alcohol content was measured at 0.169 — more than twice the legal limit.
In a 911 call from the night of the incident, a caller told dispatchers, “Yeah, um, I think the mayor is drunk,” adding, “She was literally almost running into my Jeep and followed me home… seems intoxicated.” Heitmann can be heard in the background denying the claim, saying, “I am not.”
The following month, during a September 4, 2024, Naples City Council meeting, Heitmann issued a public apology.
“I have full remorse. The toll that this has taken on my family cannot easily be put into words,” Heitmann said at the time. "I am profoundly sorry for the impact that it has had on my friends, my family, my constituents, city staff and the public," she added.
Despite the apology, Heitmann bad entered a not guilty plea and continues to contest the charges in court.
The latest postponement of proceedings has drawn sharp criticism from locals and accountability groups like Responsible Government Naples (RGN), which released a statement Monday blasting Heitmann.
“This delay is more than a little suspicious. Mayor Heitman has a history of using her public office to pressure the legal system into giving her the outcome she wants, which is effectively no accountability,” the group wrote in an statement to Fox 4. “This delay, accompanied with her bogus motion to get the judge removed, makes clear that she’s not interested in the people or businesses in our community, she’s only interested in herself. Her DUI only serves to further distract her from the appropriate business that comes before the city. Naples deserves better leadership," the statement concluded.
Heitmann, who was re-elected last year following a narrow runoff and recount, has not publicly addressed the most recent court delay. Her office declined to comment when contacted by FOX 4.
In an email, Heitmann's attorney Derek Verderamo said "my client and I will not comment or provide a brief statement with pending litigation."
Heitmann's next court appearance is now set for August 27.
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