Pittsburgh Steelers Receiver reaches deal on DUI charge…

A Georgia judge ordered the National Football League star to serve 12 months of probation and perform 80 hours of community service, said Emily Gest, spokeswoman for the DeKalb County solicitor-general.

Ward, a 35-year-old, two-time Super Bowl champion, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol in the early morning hours of July 9. In a statement released at the time, he denied being impaired.

Prosecutors dropped the drunken driving charge in exchange for Ward’s plea, Gest said. He also pleaded no contest to a charge of failing to maintain his lane, commonly known as swerving, according to a statement by the solicitor.

Ward was fined $2,000. He will have to undergo an evaluation for alcohol abuse and will be required to undergo any treatment recommended, the statement said.

He will be allowed to check in with his probation officer by phone or email, which is standard practice for defendants who live out of state.

Ward, a Georgia native, was drafted in 1998. He has been selected for the Pro Bowl four times and is a former Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. Ward is the all-time leader in career catches for the Steelers.

DUI loophole…

Inhaling chemicals and driving is on the rise, and prosecutors and lawmakers are racing to close a loophole in DUI laws after learning “huffing” isn’t covered. (AP Photo)
zoom Getting high and driving is against the law, right? Not necessarily. Lawmakers are racing to close a loophole in DUI laws after discovering a growing problem with people inhaling chemicals commonly known as “huffing” and then getting behind the wheel.
“Literally, people are in their car and huffing while they’re driving and it impairs you,” says Amy Freedheim, King County’s Senior Deputy Prosecutor who oversees DUI prosecutions in the county.

There’s been a significant increase overall in the use of inhalants ranging from gasoline, to glue to paint, especially among 12 to 17-year-olds, says Freedheim. And she says, as cops and prosecutors started seeing more and more problems, they discovered current DUI laws don’t prohibit huffing of legal substances.

“It turns out in the definition of drugs in Washington state, it’s confined to drugs that are created for human consumption,” Freedheim says. So getting high on chemicals like paint thinner, not created for human consumption, are exempted.

The high produced by inhaling the chemicals is compared to a stimulant, euphoric effect, according to Freedheim. But she says it is difficult for cops to detect when they stop an erratic driver.

“You don’t see any evidence of other drug use, but you see that the person is impaired.”

A new measure overhauling DUI laws recently passed by the Washington House would close the loophole to include ingesting any chemical legal or not with the intent of getting high. And evidence can include “possession of [a] canister or container” known for being used to get high, like a bag with spray paint inside.

Seattle SPD Sgt.DUI!

Star Trek actor arrested for DUI

“Star Trek” star Avery Brooks was busted for DUI .

63-year-old Brooks — who played Benjamin Sisko on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” — was arrested Sunday in Wilton, Connecticut after someone complained he was driving erratically.