subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Wed, Nov 25 2009 

Published: June 09, 2008 11:27 pm    print this story  

Vanceburg chief cleared of DUI

Attorney: No prosecutorial merit to case

By KENNETH HART - The Independent

VANCEBURG Vanceburg’s police chief has been cleared of driving under influence of alcohol.

Lewis District Judge Brian McCloud last week granted a motion by special prosecutor Michael Wilson to dismiss a DUI charge against Joseph W. Billman.

Wilson, who is the Greenup County attorney, told the judge that the case lacked prosecutorial merit and was not worth pursuing, and that neither he nor the arresting officer wanted to continue with it.

Wilson said he reached those conclusions after reviewing the results of blood and urine screenings performed on Billman at Meadowview Regional Hospital in Maysville following his arrest March 16 in Vanceburg.

The tests — results of which were provided by Billman to The Independent — showed that the chief’s blood-alcohol level was .038, less than half the level at which a person is legally presumed to be intoxicated in Kentucky.

Wilson also noted that there was no evidence that Billman was driving erratically or had violated any traffic laws. The only evidence in the case, he said, was the test results showing the chief well below the legal limit.

“We’re very pleased that the prosecutor and the judge did the right thing by dismissing this case,” said Billman’s attorney, Luke Bentley of Vanceburg. “Joe never should have been arrested in the first place, and to have his innocence proven by the chemical tests and acknowledged by the court is very satisfying.”

In an interview the day after his arrest, Billman, 48, acknowledged that he had been drinking prior to being confronted by a trooper from the Morehead post of the Kentucky State Police in the parking lot of the Vanceburg Super Quik. However, the chief denied being intoxicated.

Billman, Vanceburg’s police chief since 1984, said he’d consumed about six beers, but that he drank them over a course of six or seven hours. The chief said he drank four beers at card game early that evening, and one with each of his adult children later on that night.

He said hew knew he was well below the legal limit when he got into his truck to drive home. He was arrested after stopping at the convenience store to purchase milk.

Billman was arrested after the KSP post received a report from a caller of a drunk driver leaving a bar in Vanceburg. In the citation, the arresting trooper noted that he drove past the bar and saw Billman “pointing and saying something.”

The trooper then pulled in behind Super Quik and confronted Billman after he pulled into the store’s parking lot.

print this story  



autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premier Guide
Premium Jobs

WELL TENDER
Part time, for gas wells near Inez. Exp. req’d. 304-416-3226....>MORE

FINANCIAL SERVICE OFFICER
Financial Service
Officer
Job #10303
(AG-Consumer)

Farm Credit Services is seeking a Financi
...>MORE

LESTER, INC.
4-5 DAY WORK WEEK
Extra money for the holiday!! Weekly pay. Call today, 606-833-0102 or 800-260-8485 or apply at 2
...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Cars, RVs and Boats

DODGE RAM
‘04 Ram, 4WD, diesel, 86k mi., $17,900. 928-8336 or 831-4377. ...>MORE

LEXUS LS400 FOR SALE
1998, exc. cond., 134k mi., $7,500. 606-474-2938; 922-1883....>MORE

MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT
2001, loaded, must see! $3,995. 606-232-6319...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Real Estate

FARM HOUSE FOR SALE
FARM HOUSE-in Greenup Co. 4BR, 1BA, 20 acres, $155K. 606-833-5484. ...>MORE

RACELAND HOME FOR SALE
3 BR, 2.5 BA, 2 kitchens, 2 living rooms, newly remodeled brick house. 1118 Green Acres Dr. $124,000. Call (606)836-8808...>MORE

FARM FOR SALE
GREENUP CO- Leatherwood Rd. 100 acres, barn, hunting cabin, some timber, 2 ponds, four-wheeler trails, 3 acres of bottom...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Deal of the Day

FITNESS CYCLE
LIFE FITNESS- Life Cycle 5500, new gym quality bike, $1700 new. Great Gift! $600 obo. 836-4889...>MORE

FIREWOOD FOR SALE
1 Full Rick
Call 606-923-0717
...>MORE

HOT TUB FOR SALE
Hot Springs, 7ft7in. x 8ft x 3ft deep. 6 person, 47 jets, elec. hookups & steps, like new, buyer must move! $3,000. (606...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index