Kitsap County prosecutors have charged Tacoma City Councilman Ryan Mello with driving under the influence.
An arraignment date has not been set. Mello’s attorney can request a hearing date after receiving the court summons, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Claire Bradley said.
Mello could not immediately be reached for comment.
The maximum penalty is 364 days in jail and/or a $5,000 fine, according to charging papers.
The charge stems from Mello’s arrest early Jan. 20 after a state trooper pulled him over on Interstate 705 after observing a series of lane changes on northbound Interstate 5.
Breath tests administered that night record blood-alcohol levels of 0.0088 and 0.09, a Washington State Patrol report shows.
After being pulled over, Mello allegedly admitted to having a rum and Coke and a glass of wine an hour before.
“Mello stated he was confused as to which exit he needed to take, which was the reason for his driving,” the trooper wrote in his report.
The case is being tried in Kitsap County because Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist is friends with Mello.
Read more here: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/crime/2013/02/20/tacoma-city-councilman-ryan-mello-charged-with-dui/
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