FARMINGTON — A former Carrabassett Valley selectman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to driving drunk for the third time.
Stephen E. Pierce, 65, was indicted by a Franklin County grand jury Aug. 18 on a felony charge of operating under the influence with two priors, and a misdemeanor charge of operating beyond license condition or restriction.
He is a trustee of the Carrabassett Valley Sanitary District, a quasi-municipal entity separate from the town. The trustees are elected by voters.
Pierce’s attorney George Jabar II sent a letter to a Farmington court entering his appearance and a written not guilty plea for Tuesday’s arraignment.
Pierce was arrested July 26 after a caller reported to Franklin County dispatchers that a green Toyota Tundra was driving all over the road on Route 4 in Sandy River Plantation, he said.
Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Steven Lowell found the vehicle on Route 4 in Rangeley and stopped it later that afternoon.
Pierce was arrested on an OUI charge in Portland in 2011 while he was a selectman and a trustee of the sanitary district.
In a separate incident, he was convicted in 2012 by a Farmington court for operating under the influence with one prior conviction. His sentence was 12 days in jail, a $700 fine and his driver’s license was suspended for three years, according to Sun Journal archives.
dperry@sunmediagroup.net
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