Republican, William Batchelder, Ohio’s Speaker of the House says the lawmaker who was arrested for DUI should resign. Republican Rep. Robert Mecklenborg hid his April arrest from House members until the charge was made public.
Mecklenborg, who is married, was in Indiana when the arrest occurred; he had a young female passenger with him at the time. He was pulled over by police, but insisted he had nothing to drink even though he failed three field sobriety tests. He refused a breathalyzer and was taken into custody. An accomplished DUI attorney is needed to represent any person charged with a DUI.
Later, a blood test revealed that the Representative’s blood alcohol content was .0197; the legal limit in Indiana and Ohio is .08. The blood test also revealed that he had Viagra in his blood stream. Mecklenborg was charged with DUI, but has pled not guilty. He will appear in court for this charge on July 26th. A DUI lawyer might advise their clients to plead not guilty in certain circumstances.
Bathchelder has said that Mecklenborg is seeking treatment for an unspecified reason, and will resign from his seat. DUI attorneys can get often get a reduction in sentencing if the accused individual agrees to drug or alcohol rehabilitation.
Mike Dittoe, a spokesman for Batcheleder said the speaker will work with Mecklenborg on developing a timeline for his resignation.
