Ohio State Representative Sedrick Denson, D-Bond Hill, reportedly faces criminal charges after a routine traffic stop earlier this month. Denson apparently was stopped for speeding and driving outside lane lines. Denson apparently submitted to a number of field sobriety tests, including the finger-to-nose, walk-and-turn and Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus. However, Denson allegedly refused a chemical test, according to the police complaint.
The officer allegedly determined that Denson failed one or more of the field sobriety tests and arrested him. According to the dash cam video, Denson claimed he had two glasses of wine at a fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. the day before, and said that he normally did not drink wine. The traffic stop occurred at approximately 2:48 a.m. Denson also apparently said that the reason he was driving outside the lines was because he was checking his GPS.
The incident report also revealed that the officer found felony level drugs. A single Adderall pill was apparently found, which Denson contended that he does not use.
Rep. Denson is facing multiple charges including driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license and felony drug possession. He has since made a statement, saying that he believes he was not impaired at the time of the arrest. Denson will soon appear in court, and the felony and misdemeanor charges may be consolidated, according to prosecutors. If convicted of the drug crime, Denson will not be allowed to serve in the legislature, as it is a felony.
Drug and DUI charges can result in severe legal consequences, and may also impact other areas of your life, including your career. A criminal defense attorney may be able to help you avoid these consequences by coming up with a criminal defense strategy to protect you in court.