CBS Atlanta has just reported that Commission Chairman Charles Bannister’s blood test has come back negative for alcohol in his system. This result confirms the 0.0 reading on a Breathalyzer test administered to the chairman prior to his arrest for DUI Monday night. Combine this with the fact that there is no video of Bannister failing a field sobriety test and Bannister’s claim that he would be exonerated is looking more and more likely. (I would note, I do not put much stock in the field sobriety test failure. If I had a police officer having me recite the alphabet starting at a letter other than A, on the side of a road, my nerves could cause me to get flustered and mess that up as well!)
What is going on here? Is Bannister being setup for political purposes? The story does shed some light on why the Sheriff’s Department was involved. Apparently, someone in the restaurant called an off-duty deputy who, in turn, phoned an on-duty deputy. However, as I questioned previously, why did this tip not get forwarded to Gwinnett Police who normally handle traffic cases in this area? According to the AJC, the fact that the Sheriff’s department handled the arrest is not the only irregularity with this case.
Sheriff Butch Conway has stated that he stands behind his deputy. So long as there is no evidence of a setup, I cannot argue with this because a good superior backs up his employees. However, if something starts to look fishy, which certainly is shaping up to be the case here, Conway should absolutely look into this matter very closely. The question is what he will say during a news conference today regarding the blood test results? Don’t forget that Conway backed Bannister’s opponent, former commissioner Lorraine Green, in the last election. Will the sheriff let politics get in the way of seeking out justice for a political opponent? Stayed tuned.
UPDATE: Sheriff Conway has announced that DUI charges would be dropped against the chairman. However, per the irregularities in this case, this should not be the end of the matter. Someone, whether it be the sheriff or other authorities, should look into whether any laws have been violated in the treatment of Bannister. Even if no laws have been violated, there should be close scrutiny that no law enforcement official abused their authority in order to humiliate Bannister with trumped up charges.








