The state lawmaker who was discovered drunk in a Cincinnati area McDonalds with a weapon in March has escaped felony weapons charges. A Butler County Grand Jury has indicted Republican Representative Wes Retherford on a drunk driving charge, but it didn’t indict him on a more serious felony charge of improperly handling a firearm in a vehicle. Back in March, Retherford was arrested after officers found him, apparently passed out, behind the wheel of his pick-up truck at a McDonald’s drive-thru. A deputy stated in the police report that the lawmaker nearly fell over while trying to perform a field sobriety test. Had he been indicted on that fifth degree felony charge, Retherford could have been removed from his seat in the Ohio House. And though state and county Republicans have been calling on him to resign, it doesn’t appear he'll quit. Copyright 2017 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.
The Statehouse News Bureau provides educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations.
Charges Against State Lawmaker Are Reduced
