Battle DUI Law Blog

Culpeper Town Councilman Bobby Ryan Appeals Own Guilty Plea

Culpeper Town Councilman Bobby Ryan has filed an appeal of his own guilty plea in a DUI case.

On May 21, Ryan pleaded guilty to DUI in Culpeper District Court as part of a plea arrangement. The charge is his second offense in five years.

The terms of the agreement worked out between Ryan’s attorney and special prosecutor Amy Harper were accepted by substitute Judge Steve Helvin. Ryan was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 60 of those suspended.

Ryan was also fined $500, his license was suspended for three years, and he was ordered to enter a substance-abuse program.

Ryan’s jail sentence, which was restricted to weekends, was scheduled to begin on June 19.

Those who plead guilty in Circuit Court automatically forfeit their right to appeal, but in District Court, a person who pleads guilty has 10 days in which to appeal. Ryan’s appeal was filed on May 29.

On February 26, Ryan was stopped shortly after midnight by off-duty Virginia State Police Special Agent N.R. White, who spotted him driving erratically on Sunset Lane. White charged Ryan with DUI.

White said he saw Ryan’s vehicle “cross the center line 12 times,” before pulling him over.

The 64-year-old’s blood-alcohol content was measured to by 0.17, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.