I saw where Gwinnett County Chairman Charles Bannister was arrested for DUI. Before you jump to any conclusions about his guilt or innocence, let me explain why this case has a bad smell to it.
First, according to newspaper reports, a concerned citizen called 911 and reported Bannister was drinking at a Lilburn bar; then he was stopped by a Gwinnett County Sheriff’s deputy. Normally, either Gwinnett PD or the Lilburn PD would have responded to that call; most of the time Sheriff’s deputies in Gwinnett only serve warrants.
Secondly, according to the paper, Bannister agreed to say his ABCs. The ABCs are not a standard field sobriety test.
Third, Bannister apparently registered a .00 for blood alcohol at the scene. As a result the deputy requested a blood test; I believe Bannister complied.
So let’s get this straight: A Gwinnett Sheriff’s deputy just happens to be in the vicinity where a call has come in from a “concerned” citizen.(who is this person?); only one field test is given, and that is not one of the standard evaluations; the portable breath test at scene indicates no blood alcohol level; based on that, there should not have been an arrest at all.
Yes, something smells a little fishy, and that smell is coming from the University Parkway area.
