Former Staten Island Congressman Vito Fossella has plead guilty today to drunk driving charges, at his second trial in Alexandria, Virginia.

He was sentenced to five days in prison over two consecutive weekends.

The former lawmaker was not expected to enter a plea today. Instead, jury selection was scheduled to take place.

Fossella appealed his five-day jail sentence in December, after a judge found him guilty of a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence.

Under Virginia law, that appeal triggered an automatic retrial before a jury.

Fossella was arrested last May after police pulled him over for running a red light. Police say he was found to have a blood-alcohol level that was twice the legal limit in the state of Virginia.

Defense attorneys had claimed Fossella was not drunk, and had questioned the accuracy of a breathalyzer test.

Today, his attorneys said that Fossella decided not to fight the conviction after his team was unable to get the software for the breathalyzer machine.

His attornies also cited the death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart as another reason of entering the plea. Adenhart was killed last week in a drunk-driving accident.

Following his arrest, Fossella was forced to admit that he fathered a child during an extra-marital affair. He also decided not to seek re-election.

It is expected that Fossella will start his sentence this Friday.

Source: NY1