Grandson of City Official Has DUI Charges Dropped

In Camden, Tennessee, local residents are questioning whether driving under the influence charges were dropped against Thomas Noah Todd because his grandmother, Mary Phyll Waggoner is currently completing a term as an alderman and once served as mayor of the city of Camden.

Todd was arrested after being identified by police for swerving on a road entering the city of Camden. Once Officer Kenneth Beal had pulled Todd over to begin his DUI investigation, Todd threw his truck into reverse, backing into the front end of Officer Beal's response vehicle. Following Todd's refusal to submit to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test, Todd was booked on charges of driving under the influence with refusal to submit to a chemical test. Reflecting on the arrest, Officer Beal stated, "He did smell strongly of alcohol. I do believe, according to the law, he was DUI."

However, despite the officer's own admission that he believed Todd to be driving under the influence of alcohol, when Todd showed up in court three days later, there was no pending DUI charge; only a lesser charge of reckless driving. As a result of the reckless driving charge, Todd was instructed to pay a fine of seventy five dollars and his license was restricted for a period of six months.

Officer Beal explained that because Todd refused to submit to a blood alcohol concentration test, he felt that he did not have enough evidence to charge him with DUI, "I just didn't have enough evidence for that charge, but I did for the reckless driving." However, the law makes special recommendations for individuals who refuse to submit to chemical testing, suspending an individual's license automatically for one year, compared to the customary six months for a first offense driving under the influence charge.

Officer Beal stated that the decision to charge Todd with a lesser offense did not occur as a result of pressure from Alderman Waggoner. To the contrary, Officer Beal asserted that he has arrested the alderman's other grandchildren, so he would have no reason to submit to pressure from the alderman in this specific incident.

Waggoner stated that she was not involved in the reduction of charges against her grandson, emphasizing, "I would not try to influence a policeman to change anyone's ticket because it's not right." However, in the city of Camden, an alderman serves a purpose similar to that of a city council member, a position which provides considerable control over members of local agencies, especially the Police Department.

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