GA Lawmaker convicted for DUI

[Charlie Brown]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/1105/03metgraves.html

State Rep. David Graves was convicted late Wednesday of a drunk driving charge that he had argued should not have been brought because of legislative privilege.

Cobb State Court Judge Irma B. Glover found Graves (R-Macon) guilty after a one day jury trial.

After hearing testimony from the arresting officer and seeing a videotape of Graves' Feb. 15 arrest, Glover said she came to the "inescapable conclusion that the state had proven its case."

Graves is slated to stand trial later this month on another DUI charge from March 2004 in Cobb County. He will be sentenced after that case is resolved.

As late as Wednesday afternoon, Graves disputed that he was intoxicated when he was stopped at a roadblock in Vinings. He acknowledged that he had four glasses of wine at a dinner with other legislators during the 2005 General Assembly session.

A videotape of the arrest showed him trying to persuade police that a centuries-old law prohibits the arrest of legislators while the General Assembly is in session.

[CottonBear]

1. Two DUIs? What a stupid man. He should have gotten a driver.

I wonder if he will have to resign his seat? His attempt to avoid prosecution was ill-advised and desperate. I love it when the Republicans violate the law and their "family values."

[Charlie Brown]

2. Sentenced to ten days in jail, 20 days confinement

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/cobb/1105/16metgraves.html