Councilman charged with 4th DUI, attorney said it will be treated as a first Councilman charged with 4th DUI, attorney said it will be treated as a first Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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ACTION NEWS 4 REPORTER MARCIE CIPRIANI EXPLAINS, IT’S NOT THE FIRST TIME HE’S BEEN IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW. REPORTER: ACCORDING TO THESE COURT DOCUMENTS THIS IS THE 4TH TIME WASHINGTON CITY COUNCILMAN MATTHEW STANISZEWSKI HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH DUI AND POLICE SAY THIS TIME HE WAS RIGHT HERE IN HIS VEHICLE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF EAST WHEELING STREET AND THEY SAY HE WAS SO DRUNK THEY COULDN’T GIVE HIM FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS. HIS ATTORNEY TELLS ME HIS CLIENT WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR >> MR. STANISZEWSKI HAS BEEN A LONG TIME PUBLIC SERVANT IN THIS COMMUNITY, HE FEELS TERRIBLE ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON. REPORTER: POLICE SAY THE CITY COUNCILMAN WAS SITTING IN HIS BLUE HONDA HRV, UNCONCIOUS MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH SMALL BOTTLES OF LIQUIOR ON THE FLOORBOARD OF HIS CAR. ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT THE CAR WAS AT AN ANGLE AND MATTHEW STANISZEWSKI APPEARED CONFUSED. THE REPORT SAYS WHEN HE WAS ASKED FOR ID, HE HANDED THE OFFICER HIS AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD THEN HIS BADGE IDENTIFYING HIM AS A WASHINGTON CITY COUNCILMAN. THE OFFFICER WROTE THAT STANSIZEWSKI’S EYES WERE GLASSY AND BLOODSHOT AND SHE WAS AFRAID HE WOULD FALL AND HURT HIMSE IF SHE CONDUCTED A FIELD SOBRIETY TEST. COURT RECORDS SHOW THE COUNCILMAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH DUIS SINCE 2004 THAT WAS HIS FIRST WHERE HE WENT THROUGH A FIRST TIME OFFENDER PROGRAM, BUT DUIS FOLLOWED IN 2006 AND 2007. STANISZEWSKI’S ATTORNEY SAYS HIS CLIENT HAD BEEN DOING WELL SINCE THEN BUT MADE A MISTAKE AND THE GAP IN TIME, MEANS THIS CASE WILL BE CONSIDERED AS A 1ST NOT 4TH DUI. >> LEGALLY, ALTHOUGH IT IS A 4TH LIFETIME, IT IS A FIRST IN 10 YEARS. SO POTENTIALLY HE MAY BE ELIGABLE FOR THE DUI FIRST OFFENDER PROGRAM. REPORTER: HIS ARCHER -- HIS ATTORNEY SEAN LOGUE SAYS HE KNOWS OF NO PLANS FOR STANISZEWSKI TO RESIGN FROM COUNCIL BUT HIS CLIENT PLANS TO GET HELP. >> HE WILL DO EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO ADDRESS IT AND MAKE THINGS RIGHT AND DO WHAT HIS CONSTITUANTS BELEIVE SHOULD BE DONE. AND THAT IS OWN UP TO HIS ACTIONS AND GET THE HELP THAT HE DESERVES. REPORTER: LOGUE TELLS ME HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF FINDING A TREATMENT PROGRAM RIGHT NOW FOR STANISZEWSKI. THE DUI CHARGE AGAINST THE COUNCILMEMBER, THE POLICE CHIEF TELLS ME, WILL BE FILED OFFICIALLY AT THE MAGISTRATE ON MONDAY. IN WASHINGTON WASHINGTON COUNT

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