State Rep found in ethic violations after using his Legislative ID to get out of a DUI

[LynneSin]

http://www.mdcoastdispatch.com/atkinsreport030907.html

Report Finds Del. Legislator Drove Vehicle After OC Traffic Stop
Shawn Soper

News Editor

03/08/2007 OCEAN CITY – A Delaware House of Representatives Ethics Committee this week ruled Representative John C. Atkins violated the House’s rules of conduct and brought the legislative body into “disrepute” with his actions before and after a traffic stop in Ocean City in October for speeding and later suspicion of drunk driving and sanctions or even expulsion could result for the First State lawmaker.

Resort police pulled Atkins over for speeding on Oct. 29 and soon suspected him of driving while intoxicated after he admitted “having a few beers” at a resort nightclub’s Halloween party. Although he did not exhibit any outward signs of intoxication, Atkins did admit having a few beers and a preliminary breath test administered only after resort police told Atkins he was not going to be arrested registered .14, or nearly double the legal limit in Maryland.

Atkins was allowed to call friends in nearby Fenwick Island to pick him and his wife up and take them home. In a new detail revealed this week in the Ethics Committee report, one friend drove Atkins and his wife out of Ocean City while another friend followed in Atkins’ truck. When they were safely out of Ocean City, the group pulled into a Fenwick Island, Del. restaurant where Atkins got back into his own car and drove home to Millsboro, despite knowing he had blown a .14 on the roadside test.

Later that night, Atkins was arrested by Delaware Police for offensive touching for a complaint filed by his wife following an argument.

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The investigation examined every aspect of the events of Oct. 29, but the section of note, at least locally, is how Atkins made himself known to the officers who pulled him over as a state representative in Delaware. The report concludes “Atkins presented his Delaware House of Representatives identification card along with his driver’s license as a signal to treat him leniently when he was stopped for speeding and later a potential charge of driving while intoxicated.”

Atkins told conflicting stories about how and why he presented his official ID on separate occasions. In a sworn affidavit, Atkins said he produced his legislative ID upon the request of the Ocean City police officer, but in an interview with the ethics committee, Atkins admitted presenting the ID along with his driver’s license in an effort to gain leniency from the officers.

According to the report, Atkins also repeatedly told the OCPD officers he was chairman of a committee in the Delaware House of Representatives and was involved with the corrections department and had contacts in the Delaware State Police in an effort to gain leniency from the officers on the scene. However, the two officers, 10-year veteran and DWI specialist Doug Smith and a female trainee who is now a full-fledged member of the department, said Atkins never specifically requested a break although he did imply he should be given one by his actions. Both officers deny that Atkins’ status as a Delaware legislator had anything to do with the fact there were no charges filed against him that evening.

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Oh btw - the guy is a Republican. Who would have thunk that!

[dogday]

1. Since they did not print the word Democrat in the

first sentence of this article, I pretty much assumed he is Republikan...