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 removed Pinal County Superior Court Judge Stephen McCarville for a traffic violation.
The video of the police showed that McCarville had difficulty performing sobriety tests on the road. He admitted to drinking “two or three beers.” McCarville also admitted he had an alcohol container open in the car.
“It’s been a long week,” the judge told the agent. “That’s embarrassing. I’m sorry.”
McCarville was handcuffed and driven in the back of a patrol car to the police station. A blood sample was taken at the police station. McCarville was also selected to detect drug intoxication, known as the Drug Recognition Examination (DRE).
The agent reported that the McCarville blood alcohol test recorded a 0.018 BAC. This was well below the legal limit of .08 for driving in Arizona. The report also said McCarville showed signs consistent with central nervous system stimulants, but his extremely high blood pressure may also be due to an unknown medical problem.
McCarville was released that night.
The Casa Grande city attorney told ABC15 that police are still awaiting the results of the blood tests and that no charges will be filed until after review of those results. He said an external prosecutor is also likely to handle the case to avoid any conflict of interest. Both DUI and open container violations are missing.
Judge McCarville denied ABC15’s request for an interview. Through a spokesman, McCarville said he did not mention his position before officers and did not receive preferential treatment. The judge said he was being tested to see if there was a medical diagnosis that explained high blood pressure.