Former Boston Bruins star Ray Bourque has acknowledged there is enough evidence to find him guilty of drunken driving.
Bourque, 55, admitted Wednesday in Lawrence District Court that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to convict him of driving under the influence when his Mercedes-Benz rear-ended a minivan in Andover on June 24. No one was hurt.
Bourque's lawyer, Gerard LaFlamme, said his client told him from the beginning: "I made a mistake, I had a lapse in judgment," and wanted to make sure he was accountable for his actions.
"It takes a man of a lot of integrity to stand up and do the right thing," LaFlamme said. "It's not done very often."
Police said Bourque had a blood-alcohol level of 0.249, three times the state's legal limit to drive.
Under Massachusetts law, Bourque's "admission to sufficient facts" plea will resolve the case without a guilty finding if he successfully completes a one-year term of probation.
A judge also suspended Bourque's driver's license for 45 days. Prosecutors had asked for a 90-day license revocation, but Bourque's lawyer noted that he is already facing an automatic 180-day suspension for refusing to take a Breathalyzer test. He will not face any travel restrictions.
"I take full responsibility for my actions and I will not seek nor take any short cuts," Bourque said in a statement issued Wednesday. "I want to apologize to the young people that I bumped in the vehicle ahead of me. I am thankful that no one was hurt.
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"I have always lived my life dedicated to doing the best I can for myself and those around me. I have always strived for perfection but as we all know, my actions a few weeks ago were far from perfect. I know that I have let my family, friends, fans, the community and myself down. I apologize to all of you. I am sorry."
Bourque played for the Bruins for 21 seasons, then helped the Colorado Avalanche win a Stanley Cup in 2001 before retiring.
