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HUGO — An Oklahoma state senator accused of drunken driving has pleaded not guilty this morning in a Choctaw County court.

State Sen. Jeff Rabon, D-Hugo, was arraigned on an aggravated drunken driving charge and entered a plea of not guilty, said District Attorney Laura Ross Wallis. The charges stem from an August arrest. Rabon, 45, was arrested by Hugo Police and accused of running his car into a truck, which struck another vehicle.

Rabon did not submit to a breath-analysis test, but blood drawn from him at a hospital showed that his blood alcohol level was 0.16, double the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle.

The state limit for drunken driving is 0.08. The charges against Rabon were amended after the blood alcohol tests came back.

Rabon is expected to appear in court again on Dec. 19, when prosecutors and Rabon’s defense attorneys will discuss the evidence and possible settlement for the misdemeanor case. If officials can’t come to an agreement, Rabon’s case will go to a jury trial, Wallis said.

Elected in 1996, Rabon was convicted in Tulsa County District Court in 1989 for transporting an open container of an alcoholic beverage. In 1990, Rabon was convicted of driving under the influence of an intoxicating liquor. State law allows for a felony DUI charge if the offense occurred within 10 years of the misdemeanor charge.

If Rabon’s case goes to trial and he is convicted, state constitution allows lawmakers to decide whether Rabon would be allowed to keep his seat. If Rabon serves time, he would not be entitled to state pay.