Last February 25 Arizona Republican State Senator Scott Bundgaard earned his 15 minutes of national infamy after he pulled his car onto the median of a freeway in Phoenix and began slapping around his girlfriend, Aubry Ballard. According to witnesses:

"He grabbed the woman and slammed her up against the cement barricade in between the freeway and started throwing her around." Another witness reported: "He was beatin' the living crap out of whoever was in the passenger seat." Arizona Republic

Bundgaard was Senate Majority Leader at the time, a "Proven Conservative" and rising young star whose 2010 election materials featured photos and gobs of gab from Arizona's leading lunatics, among them Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Senate President Russell Pearce, and Crazy Man Trent Franks®. Given what soon followed on a Phoenix freeway, Congressman Franks' comment on Bundgaard's election brochure sounds even more idiotic than usual: "Scott Bundgaard is more than just a personal friend, he is someone I trust to do the right thing."

The Senator claimed he was doing the "right thing" that night -- merely trying to de-escalate a violent situation that Ballard herself started after she grew jealous of events earlier that evening:

Bundgaard claims Ballard attacked him in a jealous rage as the two were driving home from a charity event, during which Bundgaard competed in a dance competition with another woman. He claims she started punching him and throwing his clothes out the window as the two were driving on State Route 51. When he stopped to retrieve the clothes, he tried to remove Ballard from the car, dragging her along the side of the highway, causing cuts and scrapes to her legs. New Times

Bundgaard also said she grabbed for a gun, which none of the evidence or eye-witness accounts corroborate. When police arrived they took Aubry Ballard into custody, but the 43-year-old Senator was not arrested because of legislative immunity. According to the police report:

"The senator said: 'I demand you take these handcuffs off. I'm state Senator Scott Bundgaard, and according to Article 4 of the Constitution, you cannot detain me. I'm immune from arrest when the Legislature is in session, in which it currently is.' " Arizona Republic

Bundgaard later told reporters he never claimed immunity, which flies in the face of the investigative report. He also said no punches were thrown that night, but again the police report (with photos) noted scratches and black-and-blue marks. Finally, Bundgaard later said he was "stone-cold sober" that evening, yet the attending officer wrote in his report that the Senator had alcohol on his breath. I'm no lawyer but that doesn't seem like a good defense tactic, calling cops liars on three counts.

Anyway, similar to diplomatic immunity, it's true they could not arrest Bundgaard because the legislative session was underway. So the Phoenix police waited until the 2011 session-from-hell ended in June and then they charged his ass with misdemeanor assault and endangerment. Later that month Bundgaard pleaded not guilty to the charges, which could land him in jail for 10 months. He was supposed to appear in court in July, but the trial was postponed because his lawyers are seeking a change of venue.

So, what's been the result? Lost his Senate seat? No. How 'bout a GOP award for being an upstanding family man. You bet!