The highest judge in Pinal County said he received no special treatment during his New Year’s arrest on suspicion of DUI.
Casa Grande police recruited Judge Stephen McCarville of the President of the Pinal County Supreme Court for a traffic violation.
The police video showed McCarville struggling to complete the roadside sobriety tests. He admitted to drinking “two or three beers”. McCarville also admitted to having an open container of alcohol in the car.
“It’s been a long week,” the judge told the officer. ‘This is embarrassing. Sorry.’
McCarville was handcuffed and driven to the police station in a patrol car. Blood was taken at the police station. McCarville was also screened for drug intoxication, known as a Drug Recognition Exam (DRE).
The officer reported that McCarville’s breathalyzer recorded a .018 BAC. This was well below the .08 legal limit for driving in Arizona. The report also said McCarville showed signs consistent with central nervous system stimulants, but his extremely high blood pressure may also be due to an unknown medical problem.
McCarville was released that night.
The Casa Grande city attorney told ABC15 that police are still waiting for the results of the blood test and that no charges will be filed until those results are reviewed. He said it was likely that an outside prosecutor would handle the case to avoid a potential conflict of interest. Both DUI and open container violations are felonies.
Judge McCarville turned down ABC15’s request for interview. Through a spokesman, McCarville said he had not mentioned his position to the agents and was not receiving preferential treatment. The judge said he was being tested to see if there was a medical diagnosis to explain the high blood pressure.