Posted on 10/30/2004 7:52:59 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Patrol nabs Ketcham for DUI
By Juliette Rule rep9@wyomingnews.com Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
CHEYENNE - Laramie County Commissioner Jeff Ketcham's breath smelled of alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot and his speech was slurred, a trooper said after arresting him for DUI earlier this month.
That Oct. 9 arrest marks the 53-year-old Ketcham's second DUI arrest after a conviction in Nevada two years ago. He refused a test of his blood alcohol content during the most recent arrest, according to a jail booking sheet.
Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper Dave Chatfield arrested Ketcham after a call to dispatch reported what appeared to be a drunken driver near U.S. Highway 30 and Archer Road just before midnight that Saturday.
The booking sheet indicates Chatfield saw Ketcham's car weaving.
Ketcham has served as a county commissioner for more than 20 years here. His current term expires in 2006. He also teaches science at Central High.
The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle learned of the arrest after an anonymous call Friday. The matter wasn't reflected in booking sheets provided to the newspaper by the Laramie County Sheriff's Office. That agency faxed a copy of the public record at the newspaper's request Friday afternoon.
According to the jail record, Ketcham put up $500 bond the day after his arrest. His wife drove his car to his County Road 135 home.
The refusal to submit a breath, blood or urine sample automatically cost Ketcham his driver's license. Chatfield took it when Ketcham refused the tests used to measure BAC.
While prosecutor Dennis Grant wouldn't comment specifically on this case, he said that refusal results in an automatic suspension of driving privileges for six months. Under Wyoming law, a second DUI offense and refusal of chemical testing brings an automatic suspension for 18 months. Those arrested for DUI, who refuse the chemical testing, also are ineligible for limited driving privileges, which allow some to drive to and from work.
Driver's licensing is the province of the Wyoming Department of Transportation, not the courts, Grant noted. Defendants in DUI cases can ask WYDOT for a hearing through which driving privileges can be reinstated pending criminal court action.
It's not clear if Ketcham requested a WYDOT hearing.
Grant, who handles the many DUI cases prosecuted through the district attorney's office, said he has not received Chatfield's report but knew Ketcham had hired an attorney.
Where Ketcham's case stands is unknown because the courthouse was closed about 1:30 p.m. Friday after a sprinkler head flooded two floors. The offices, including Circuit Court, were closed for the day and phones weren't answered.
Ketcham was convicted of drunken driving in Nevada two years ago, according to Chatfield's booking sheet. That brings stiffer penalties if Ketcham is convicted of the Oct. 9 incident.
In Wyoming, legislators agreed that a BAC of .08 percent or greater was too drunk for responsible driving. A first offense here is a misdemeanor and brings a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $750 fine, not to mention a spike in auto liability insurance rates, Grant said.
A second conviction within five years requires at least seven days in jail and a fine of $200-$750. That makes affordable liability insurance impossible for many convicted twice of DUI, Grant added.
A third conviction brings 30 days to six months in jail and a substance abuse assessment, but a fourth conviction within five years is a felony. That's punishable by as many as two years in prison, though there is no minimum term required by law.
Ketcham remains employed at Central High. Laramie County School District 1 spokesman John Little said Ketcham's duties don't include chauffeuring students.
A conviction can be grounds for dismissal, but Little said there is no special provision for employees charged or convicted of drunken driving.
Ketcham didn't return two calls from the WTE on Friday. Fellow Commissioner Jack Knudson refused to talk about the arrest but was surprised by a reporter's phone call.
Knudson said he "isn't at liberty to talk about someone else's issues."
"Anything that is a personal issue, a legal issue, shouldn't be talked about," he added. "Everyone has an opinion on that, but I don't think it's appropriate to talk about it."
The county's third commissioner, Diane Humphrey, didn't return a call made to her cell phone about 7 p.m. Friday.
I know the parents are glad he doesn't chauffeur students, but could the parents get away with what this commissioner does. Maybe so, maybe they are among those who voted for him.
Since the article doesn't mention party affiliation, is it safe to infer that the drunk public official is a Democrat?
I can't believe there are ANY Democrats in Wyoming!
Semper Fi
I don't know. I suspect that county commissioners are elected by party in WY: they are elected by party in TX. I think Cheyenne may be a little more Democrat than the state as a whole.
I have noticed that the Cheyenne newspaper gives party affiliation of state legislators each time one is mentioned but does not give affiliations for city, county, and school district officers.
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