ACC commissioner arrested for DUI had nearly three times the lawful amount of alcohol in his system

District 1 Commissioner Patrick Davenport

By Joe Johnson

An Athens-Clarke County Commissioner who was arrested for DUI over the weekend had nearly three times the amount of alcohol in his system than is legally allowed for driving, according to an Athens-Clarke, County police report obtained Monday by Classic City News.

District 1 Commissioner Patrick Davenport, who was found lying back in the driver’s seat of his disabled SUV was administered a breath test that indicated his blood-alcohol content was .216 percent, according to the report.

The maximum legal limit for driving is .08 percent.

Davenport, who was “rapidly sweating,” admitted that he had been drinking, but did not remember how much, according to the report, which noted the 42-year-old commissioner was unable to maintain balance during a roadside sobriety test that the officer stopped out of concern for Davenport’s safety.

When the officer responded shortly after midnight to a report of a drunk driver at the U.S. National Poultry Research Center on College Station Road, he saw the that both tires on the driver’s side of Davenport’s SUV had been “popped,” according to the police report.

The commissioner was booked into the county jail at 1:47 a.m. and released on his own recognizance five hours later.

While at the jail, the arresting officer filled out a Department of Driver Services form that notified Davenport his license was subject to suspension pending an appeal.

Davenport would not comment about his arrest and referred questions to his attorney, Jeff Rothman.

“Mr. Davenport is presumed to be innocent,” the attorney said. “We will be conducting an investigation concerning the circumstances surrounding his arrest and will have more to say when that investigation is complete.”