The high-ranking judge in Pinal County said he did not receive special treatment during his New Year’s Eve arrest because of the suspicion of DUI.
Casa Grande police have arrested Pinal County High Court President Stephen McCarville for traffic offenses.
Police video showed McCarville struggling to complete sobriety tests along the way. He admitted 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. “It’s an embarrassment. I am sorry.’
McCarville was handcuffed and driven to the back of a patrol car to the police station. A blood sample was taken at the police station. McCarville was also screened for drug poisoning, known as a drug recognition (DRE) exam.
The officer reported that McCarville’s breathing test registered a .018 BAC. It was well below the .08 legal limit for driving in Arizona. The report also said that McCarville shows signs similar to stimulants in the central nervous system, but his extremely high blood pressure may also be due to an unknown medical problem.
McCarville was released that night.
Casa Grande’s city attorney told ABC15 that police are still awaiting the blood test results, and that no charges will be filed until the results are reviewed. He said it is also likely that an outside prosecutor will handle the case to avoid potential conflict of interest. Both the DUI and the open container are violations.
Judge McCarville denied ABC15’s interview request. Through a spokesman, McCarville said he did not mention his position to officers and did not receive preferential treatment. The judge indicated that he was being tested to see if there was a medical diagnosis to explain the high blood pressure.