Mayor's arraignment on DUI charges set for June 10
May 21, 2010 · 2:59 PM
Port Orchard Mayor Lary Coppola will get his day in court regarding his driving under the influence (DUI) arrest, according to Kevin Benton with the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office.
“We filed the paperwork with the court yesterday for the June 10 arraignment date,” said Benton. “It will be held at the Pierce County Courthouse (in Tacoma) and they will start at 8:45 a.m.”
Coppola was arrested after his car allegedly blocked a newspaper delivery vehicle in the 200 block of Rockwell Avenue in Port Orchard in the early morning hours of May 2.
Port Orchard Police were called to the scene, but contacted Washington State Patrol to perform the field sobriety test when officers realized the suspect was Port Orchard’s mayor.
According to a WSP spokesperson, Coppola smelled of intoxicants, his eyes were blurry and his speech was slurred.
He was arrested at the scene but subsequently released to his attorney’s custody instead of being booked into jail.
The case will be handled by the Pierce County District Court to avoid conflicts of interest in the Port Orchard Municipal Court system.
According to court records, Coppola's notice of arraignment with a not-guilty plea was issued on May 21.
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