http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/24100510/detail.html
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway said he stands behind his deputies.
He supports their arrest of commission Chairman Charles Bannister and charging him with an ORANGE COUNTY DUI. "Most police officers, if somebody blew a 0.0 on a Breathalyzer, would back off and dismiss the criminal charges. I think, for Mr. Bannister, this case is taking an extra step," said former Dekalb County prosecutor J. Tom Morgan. Morgan questions the sheriff's case against Bannister. "If you got a failure to have a video and you got a 0.0 on a Breathalyzer, I'm not sure why this guy (Bannister) was arrested," said Morgan. Police said Bannister passed three Breathalyzer tests and the arresting officer does not have video of the field sobriety test he gave Bannister. Police said Bannister failed those physical coordination tests. "The DUI field sobriety test is unfortunately a joke," said Morgan. Morgan said it could seem like Bannister was set up, but he said that would not be against the law. Police said Bannister was at Cafe Hot Wings in Lilburn Monday, when a customer called an off-duty sheriff's deputy and said Bannister was there, in his county vehicle and drinking. That off-duty deputy then called a deputy who was working. The deputy waited for Bannister to drive off, then he stopped Bannister for changing lanes without using his signal. "Well, unfortunately for Mr. Bannister because he's a public official, he can be subjected to that kind of scrutiny. This is not the way a case is typically handled, but it's not against the law either," said Morgan. Bannister said he will be exonerated. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations is testing Bannister blood to see if he had alcohol in his body the night he was arrested.
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