Prince George’s County, MD Liquor Board Chair Charged with DUI
Chairman Charles W. Caldwell, III of the Prince George’s County, Maryland liquor board was arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after opening night of the MGM National Harbor Casino in the Maryland/Washington D.C. area. The chairman announced his resignation from the county’s liquor board after a police report was released that stated he attempted to leverage his position on the board to get out of being arrested and charged with drinking and driving.
Caldwell, who publicly denied he was driving impaired, was charged with DUI, reckless driving, and other related traffic offenses when police reported the chairman was involved in an accident with two other vehicles that occurred just outside the new casino several weeks ago. Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland, who appointed Caldwell to the position, asked the chairman to step down from his post – the state governor, in this situation, does not have the power to remove the chairman himself.
A spokeswoman for the governor, Shareese DeLeaver, stated that although the governor did not have the authority to remove the chairman, the governor was “very concerned and disappointed” about the circumstances and requested that Caldwell step down from his position as chairman, which Caldwell agreed to do. The current vice-chair of the liquor board for the county is taking on Caldwell’s responsibilities until a new chair person can be selected.
After Caldwell announced his resignation from the liquor board, he asked that all questions regarding the situation be directed to his attorney. His attorney then stated that it was his policy to not comment on cases that are still pending. Caldwell had previously stated that he took a breathalyzer test at the scene of the accident, and the results of that test were inconclusive. He also stated that his age played a role in him being unsteady on his feet during the incident and his interactions with law enforcement officers.
The report from law enforcement officers states that Caldwell did not keep his head still during the breathalyzer test, which made it impossible for the law enforcement officer to complete the procedure and correctly obtain a reading of his Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). Additionally, the report stated that Caldwell fell a minimum of three times during his field sobriety test, that he did not have any memory of the accident occurring, and that Caldwell had an “overpowering” smell of alcohol on him.
