Sen. Chuck Graham-D arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated (Missouri)

Columbia Missourian ^ | 10/21/07

[LdSentinal]

COLUMBIA — Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, was arrested Saturday night on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after Columbia police said he rear-ended a vehicle in south Columbia.

At about 9:45 p.m. Saturday, Graham, 42, was driving on Green Meadows Road near his home when he rear-ended a vehicle stopped near the intersection of Green Meadows Road and Bethel Street, Columbia police Sgt. Lloyd Simons said. The vehicle Graham hit then hit a vehicle in front of it. The airbag in Graham’s vehicle deployed, and Graham was treated and released from University Hospital after complaining of pain in his arm, Simons said. The other drivers were not injured in the crash. Both of the vicims’ vehicles sustained minor damage, Simons said. Graham’s vehicle sustained moderate damage.

Ted Farnen, Graham’s spokesman, wrote in an e-mailed news release that police took Graham into custody while he was exchanging insurance information with the other drivers. When reached by phone on Sunday, he declined to elaborate on the incident.

Messages left for Graham at his home were not immediately returned.

Graham was left paralyzed from the neck down after he was injured in car accident when he was 16 years old, according to previous Missourian reports. Graham is serving his first term as state senator from the 19th district of Missouri, which includes Boone and Randolph counties. He previously served four terms in the Missouri House of Representatives. Graham earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1987.

Graham was released from the Boone County Jail on Sunday morning after posting $500 bond.

Driving while intoxicated is a class B misdemeanor on the first offense and carries a penalty of up to six months in jail.

[joshhiggins]

I wonder if he was tapping his toes before he rear ended someone.

He's a quadriplegic (paralyzed from the neck down). I don't know how he could be tapping his toes, driving a car, or rear ending anyone.

Maybe he was the one getting "rear ended" when the accident happened.

[cynwoody]

And he's driving?

His Wikipedia entry says he's a paraplegic and a strong supporter of stem-cell research. It also mentions he was up for the US Senate in 2006, but dropped out in favor of Claire McCaskill. And it's already been updated to mention his current run-in.

[A_Tradition_Continues]

He is paralyzed from the neck down and complained of arm pain?

You caught that too!!!

[joshhiggins]

If he’s a paraplegic then he’s not paralyzed from the “neck down”.

[Mark was here]

He's a quadriplegic (paralyzed from the neck down). I don't know how he could be tapping his toes, driving a car, or rear ending anyone.

Yuck, I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

[basil]

In the photo, he certainly doesn’t look like any quadraplegic I have ever seen.

[maine-iac7]

nothing to see here - he's a democrat...

[maine-iac7]

Just ask Ted Kennedy

and his son

[Natural Law]

Wasn’t the charge against Larry Craig attempted rear ending?

[VOA]

“So did this version.”

Pretty amazing the party affiliation got printed in The Missourian.

Here in Columbia, it’s sometimes called “the student paper”.

It’s good on the “artsy-fartsy” stuff and local-area entertainment,
but sort of a lightweight with the other sectors of journalism.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Naah, he’s just making his bones. Now he needs to find a campaign worker to rape, and he’s in like Flynn. That’s what is known as a “Gooood Democrat.” ;-)

[cynwoody]

If he’s a paraplegic then he’s not paralyzed from the “neck down”.

Correct. "From the neck down" would be "quadriplegic". But you can't expect quality journalism these days, as we well know.

[VOA]

“Graham refused to submit to a breathlyzer exam and would not provide
a blood sample.”

I’m not a lawyer, but I wouldn’t be suprised that his declining the
breathalyzer and BAC test is part of a strategy to avoid the penalty
mentioned in the lead article. (Or maybe that’s the penalty for being
suspected of driving drunk and a collision results?).

But here’s what the MO Drivers Manual sez about not taking breathalyzer
or BAC tests:

http://dor.mo.gov/mvdl/drivers/dlguide/dlguide.pdf
p.78

If a police officer stops you and you refuse to take
a test to find out your BAC, your driver license will
be taken away for 1 year.
Your driver license may be reinstated if you:
Pay a $45 fee and
Submit a form showing you completed a Substance Abuse
Traffic Offender (SATOP) or comparable program.

[Hardastarboard]

Good point. I mean, Larry might have rear-ended some people, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t damage their cars in the process.

LOL!!!!

[CORedneck]

Interesting to read. I wonder if he can get his license reinstated earlier if he gets the SATOP program done ?

I also looked at the MO point system thing. Kind of interesting. Get suspended for points, you have to do a SR-22. In most states, SR-22 is for alcohol relate offenses. I have two points (was three points before May 2007) for a speeding ticket I got there in May 2006. MO assigns points for tickets received in MO even by non-residents who hold non-MO licenses.

[unixfox]

He won't be convicted. He's a democrat. It'll be some lame excuse like prescription drugs.

[Grizzled Bear]

I’ve never understood handicap parking places at liquor stores.

---

Handicapped people are allowed to get liqueured up just as much as able bodied people.

However, neither should drive when liqueured up.

[rface]

Chuck Graham is a D - but he also made sure that he was present at many Support-The -Troops rallys at the beginning of Iraq and Afghanistan fighting ... this was in spite of many Peace-Kooks that demanded he make statements opposing the wars.

I just got done reading this info from the Columbia Trib..... and then saw this here.

I'd like to see an "R" in place of Graham, but but he has my respect on some issues ...

I hate to see him caught up in a DUI

[ikka]

Graham refused to submit to a breathlyzer exam and would not provide a blood sample.

Is this standard practice? The cops just say "OK, well, I guess we can't charge you then?"

[cynwoody]

Is this standard practice? The cops just say "OK, well, I guess we can't charge you then?"

From VOA's post in #33:

http://dor.mo.gov/mvdl/drivers/dlguide/dlguide.pdf
p.78

If a police officer stops you and you refuse to take
a test to find out your BAC, your driver license will
be taken away for 1 year.
Your driver license may be reinstated if you:
Pay a $45 fee and
Submit a form showing you completed a Substance Abuse
Traffic Offender (SATOP) or comparable program.

It looks like his plan is (1) avoid conviction because of lack of evidence, (2) get the automatic 1-year suspension, (3) take a silly course, (4) pay $45 and get license back way before one year. With his connections, I'm sure it won't be a big deal (unless the voters remember in November).