The highest judge in Pinal County said he did not receive special treatment during his New Year’s Eve arrest on suspicion of DUI.
Casa Grande police have removed Judge Stephen McCarville, president of the Pinal County Superior Court, for a traffic violation.
The police video showed McCarville having difficulty completing sobriety tests on the road. He admitted that he drank “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 embarrassing. I’m sorry.”
McCarville was handcuffed and driven behind a patrol car to the police station. A blood sample was taken at the police station. McCarville was also examined for drug intoxication, known as the Drug Recognition Examination (DRE).
The officer reported that McCarville’s breathalyzer test recorded a .018 BAC. This was well below the .08 legal limit for driving in Arizona. The report also said that McCarville showed signs consistent with central nervous system stimuli, but the extremely high blood pressure may also be due to an unknown medical problem.
McCarville was released that night.
Casa Grande’s lawyer told ABC15 that the police are still waiting for the results of the blood tests and no charges will be filed until after reviewing these results. He said an external prosecutor is likely to handle the case to avoid any potential conflict of interest. Both DUI violation and open container violation are contraventions.
Judge McCarville denied ABC15’s request for an interview. Through a spokesman, McCarville said he did not mention his position toward officers and did not receive preferential treatment. The judge indicated that he is being tested to see if there is a medical diagnosis to explain high blood pressure.