A federal prosecutor has pleaded not guilty to a charge of drunken driving (DUI) after his recent traffic stop in Warwick, Rhode Island. The circumstances around his traffic stop have raised questions over whether he received special treatment.
Gerard Sullivan was arraigned on December 4. He is next scheduled to appear in court on December 15.
Police say on Thanksgiving, Sullivan was stopped for driving erratically and officers detected the odor of alcohol on his breath. He allegedly told officers that he had just left a tavern and had “too much” to drink. He also informed them that he was a prosecutor and knew the police chief.
According to police, Sullivan refused to consent to a breath test. However, unlike others during the Thanksgiving weekend who refused to do so, he was not charged with driving under the influence.
On December 4, Police Chief Stephen McCartney released a written statement saying that the added DUI charged was a case of “fundamental fairness.”
