The city prosecutor of Eugene, Oregon was fired last week after a recent DUI arrest. Dan Barkovic was fired by the City Manager even though it has yet to be decided whether DUI charges will be filed against him.
Ironically, Barkovic’s job duties included prosecuting people for driving under the influence.
Although charges have not yet been filed, according to city spokesperson Jan Bohman, Barkovic’s employment was terminated “in light of his arrest for driving under the influence and his refusal to take the alcohol breath test.”
Barkovic was arrested on the early morning of September 22nd, after local police stopped him for a traffic violation. When the officer realized that Barkovic was the city prosecutor, state police were called to avoid a conflict of interest. During the state police’s DUI investigation, Barkovic refused a breath test.
According to Lane County deputy district attorney, Patty Perlow, the state Attorney General’s Office has taken over investigating the case and will make the decision to file charges. Assistant Attorney General Deena Ryerson, who is handling the case, is a DUI expert according to a state Attorney General’s Office Spokesman, Jeff Manning.
Barkovic has said that he “made a very bad decision to drive that evening, and [he] certainly accept[s] responsibility for the decision to do that.”
Let this be a reminder that anyone, including those fight for DUI convictions, can make the mistake of driving drunk.
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