ST. CLAIR COUNTY OFFICIAL ARRESTED UNDER SUPER DRUNK LAW

Original Story: macombdaily.com

The political leader of a rural St. Clair County community was arrested by Clay Township police for drunk driving Feb. 12

Supervisor Kelly Fiscelli, the top elected official in Cottrellville Township, located outside of Marine City, was taken into custody at about 12:40 a.m., several hours after a board meeting she chaired.

She was charged with operating with blood alcohol content of .17 or more, the so-called ‘super drunk’ law, a term applied to first-time offenders who register a PBT greater than .17. A Westchester County drunk driving lawyer represents clients charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Fiscelli was reportedly on her way home when a Clay Township police cruiser spotted her driving erratically.

Police received a call of an intoxicated woman who refused attempts by others to give her a ride home, according to a Clay Township police report. The caller let police know the vehicle she was driving was eastbound on M-29. Police caught up with the car at Palms Road as it was stopped under a traffic light. The police report states Fiscelli then turned down Palms and made a right on Shea Road, crossing the centerline as she did so. She then drove in the wrong lane for a time with the police car behind her. A New York DWI lawyer is following this story closely.

After a traffic stop the officer made contact with her. Fiscelli looked and acted like she was impaired, according to the police report. Her speech was slurred, she smelled of alcohol and seemed confused at times, the officer reported. When asked how much she drank, she said she had three beers. She then failed a field sobriety test and refused to attempt another.

The officer asked if she would submit to a Preliminary Breath Test and she agreed with a .23 percent result. The legal limit of intoxication is .08.

Fiscelli was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. At the police station, she told officers she “did not know what to do” and wanted to call Tim Donnellon, who is the St. Clair County Sheriff. After making a phone call she took another PBT with the result a .28 percent reading. She then refused a third breath test. While she was fingerprinted, she became uncooperative, making it impossible to be photographed.

She was then lodged at the St. Clair County Jail. The next morning, she was released on a personal bond with no monetary requirement, according to St. Clair County court records.

While en route to the jail, the report states she was verbally abusive to the officers. A New York drunk driving lawyer provides experienced representation to clients involved in DUI charges.

On Feb. 17, Fiscelli, in a prepared statement, acknowledged the arrest.

“I was arrested. It was my first offense. I made a mistake,” she said. “I apologize to my family and constituents. I plan on taking responsibility through the courts on my decision making. I apologize for letting my constituent’s down and I am moving forward with my professional and personal life and would like to put this chapter behind me.”

She said she was “mortified” that she would be driving while drunk. Her former husband was a sergeant in the sheriff’s department who was killed by a drunk driver.

“I am always saying that it is the one thing you totally don’t do is drive drunk,” she said.

Fiscelli mentioned the township board session held earlier that evening was particularly stressful.

“I’m not making excuses,” she said. “But this should not be how it is for a politician – being run through the mill. It will prevent others from running for office. I would just ride out the time until my term ended if I was a different person, but I won’t.”

Fiscelli has been in office since November 2012 and her term ends in 2016.

Lions President Tom Lewand Apologizes after DUI Arrest

The Detroit Free Press

He took charge of the franchise in December 2008

Lions president Tom Lewand was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving Friday night in Roscommon County.

"I am deeply sorry for my actions and take full responsibility for them," Lewand said in a statement released by the team Saturday night. "As a person in active Michigan alcohol rehab, I am committed to taking all necessary steps to insure nothing like this ever happens again."

Lions spokesman Bill Keenist confirmed the incident and said that Lewand had been released from police custody. Lewand did not return a phone call from the Free Press Saturday night.

It is not clear what, if any, disciplinary action Lewand will face from team ownership or the NFL, or if they were aware of any alcohol addiction treatment.

Lewand has worked in a variety of roles with the Lions for 16 years. He became the team president in late December 2008, succeeding Matt Millen, who had been fired during the season.

Lewand, who has three degrees from the University of Michigan, oversees the team's day-to-day operations. He reports to owner William Clay Ford, according to the team's Web site, "on all business, organizational and NFL matters."

The Lions' site also says: "Lewand's fundamental principle is to consistently present the Lions as a first-class organization with a clear sense of mission and direction."

Lewand has deep roots in Michigan. He has earned undergraduate, business and law degrees from U-M. His father, F. Thomas Lewand, was the chief of staff for Gov. James Blanchard, and his grandfather, Joseph B. Sullivan, was the deputy mayor of Detroit in the 1960s.