# Former NU Regent Pleads Guilty to Felony DUI After May Crash  
**Published:** 2026-05-15T22:14:31.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/former-nu-regent-changes-course-pleads-guilty-to-felony-dui-charge/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/former-nu-regent-pleads-guilty-to-felony-dui-after-may-crash

OMAHA — Elizabeth O'Connor, the former University of Nebraska Board of Regents member, pleaded guilty Friday to driving under the influence and causing serious bodily injury stemming from a May 21 crash that left a passenger with life-threatening injuries.

According to reporting from the [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/former-nu-regent-changes-course-pleads-guilty-to-felony-dui-charge/), O'Connor's guilty plea to the Class IIIA felony represents a reversal of her earlier not guilty plea. She faces up to three years in prison and 18 months of post-release supervision at sentencing, scheduled for August 17.

The 35-year-old O'Connor had a blood alcohol content of 0.321% — more than four times the legal limit — when her vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic in Omaha's Benson neighborhood around 8:30 p.m., authorities said. A passenger in the opposing vehicle sustained a broken back and pelvis. Police reported finding a half-empty bottle of Fireball Whisky in O'Connor's car at the scene.

O'Connor had initially signaled she might fight the charges, with her attorney gathering evidence through multiple delayed pre-trial hearings. The change in her legal strategy coincided with mounting pressure from state legislators and the family of those injured in the crash.

The victim's father, Ricoh Mountain, whose three young children were in the vehicle hit by O'Connor, had publicly called on her to resign at a Board of Regents meeting in October. State Senator Kathleen Kauth of Omaha threatened impeachment if O'Connor did not step down. [O'Connor resigned January 9](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/12/30/nu-regent-oconnor-resigning-effective-jan-9-in-wake-of-dui-allegation-possible-impeachment/), and Kauth subsequently withdrew her impeachment articles.

In her resignation letter, O'Connor said she did not want to "become a distraction to the Board's important work." The [Board of Regents provides strategic leadership](https://nebraska.edu/regents/) to the University of Nebraska System, including selecting the president and approving budgets and tuition.

O'Connor, a Democrat, was first elected to represent District 4 in 2018 and was reelected in 2024. She had previously served as a deputy county attorney for Douglas County before the charges were filed in July.

Governor Jim Pillen, who served alongside O'Connor on the board for four years before taking office in 2023, appointed Joel Makovicka, a former Huskers fullback and physical therapist, to serve through January 2027. [A special election in November](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/nebraska-voters-narrow-2026-candidates-for-nu-regents-state-board-of-education/) will determine the next regent for the final four years of O'Connor's term. Susanne Shore, a former Nebraska first lady and community volunteer, and Justin Solomon, a nonprofit executive, advanced from the primary as Democratic candidates.

Under Nebraska law, felons cannot hold elected office unless the State Board of Pardons restores their civil rights. Had O'Connor remained on the board after pleading or being found guilty, she would have been forced to leave office.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/former-nu-regent-changes-course-pleads-guilty-to-felony-dui-charge/)
- [O'Connor's resignation announcement](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/12/30/nu-regent-oconnor-resigning-effective-jan-9-in-wake-of-dui-allegation-possible-impeachment/)
- [University of Nebraska Board of Regents information](https://nebraska.edu/regents/)
- [2026 regents election results](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/nebraska-voters-narrow-2026-candidates-for-nu-regents-state-board-of-education/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/former-nu-regent-changes-course-pleads-guilty-to-felony-dui-charge/.