CITY RECREATION MANAGER FACES DWI CHARGE.Byline: JULIE ANN GRIMM A longtime city employee who is active in youth sports faces charges of driving while intoxicated driving while intoxicated n. see driving under the influence. , a lane violation and driving with a suspended license. Ruben Lovato, city recreation section manager and president of the Santa Fe Santa Fe, city, Argentina Santa Fe, city (1991 pop. 341,000), capital of Santa Fe prov., NE Argentina, a river port near the Paraná, with which it is connected by canal. Youth Football League, told a Santa Fe County Sheriff's deputy that he had "a couple of beers" at the Santa Ana Casino before the 10 p.m. traffic stop Saturday. A statement by Deputy Brian Markley said the 66-year-old Lovato was driving 10 miles below the posted speed limit on N.M. 14 and after he was pulled over, his eyes were bloodshot blood·shot adj. Red and inflamed as a result of locally congested blood vessels, as of the eyes. bloodshot Vox populi adjective and watery, his speech was slurred slur tr.v. slurred, slur·ring, slurs 1. To pronounce indistinctly. 2. To talk about disparagingly or insultingly. 3. To pass over lightly or carelessly; treat without due consideration. and his breath smelled of alcohol. During a field sobriety test Lovato "displayed signs of impairment," the deputy wrote. Although preliminary tests measured Lovato's blood-alcohol level at .03 and .02 -- below the .08 legal limit for intoxication intoxication, condition of body tissue affected by a poisonous substance. Poisonous materials, or toxins, are to be found in heavy metals such as lead and mercury, in drugs, in chemicals such as alcohol and carbon tetrachloride, in gases such as carbon monoxide, and -- those tests, coupled with Lovato's admission that he had taken a prescription medication for anxiety, led to the arrest, Markley wrote. Lovato also told the deputy that he is a diabetic. "This is not going to be a clear-cut one," Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano said Tuesday. "He blew less than half the legal limit, but it's standard in these cases to take them for a blood test, too." Solano said blood test results should be available in about five weeks and will give the department information about whether to drop or amend the charges. "I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. why it happened," Lovato said when reached Tuesday at his city office telephone number. "I don't think I did anything wrong because I have not been proven guilty, and I think the deputy should have used a little discretion because (the blood alcohol test) was so low." Lovato's license had been suspended since last summer because of his failure to appear in court Ask a Lawyer Question Country: United States of America State: Arizona Dear Sir, I received back in 1980 an arrest warrant by an Arizona court for failure to appear in court pursuant to a traffic accident (failure to yield). on an unspecified charge in June 2008, according to a probable cause Apparent facts discovered through logical inquiry that would lead a reasonably intelligent and prudent person to believe that an accused person has committed a crime, thereby warranting his or her prosecution, or that a Cause of Action has accrued, justifying a civil lawsuit. statement. Lovato said he planned to continue his work with the football league, but did not want to discuss the charges further on Tuesday afternoon. City Manager Galen Buller said he couldn't discuss what was a personnel matter. City Human Resources Director Kristine Kuebli returned phone messages seeking comment about Lovato's status. The city does not follow a blanket policy for action when employees are charged with drunken driving, but sometimes the city manager puts employees on leave during criminal investigations. According to newspaper archives, Lovato retired in 1998 from a 26-year career in city government before returning to work in 2006 after serving as deputy campaign manager for David Coss, who was elected mayor that year. Lovato quit his job as Community Services Department director in 2007 at the request of the city manager. Contact Julie Ann Grimm at 986-3017 or jgrimm@sfnewmexican.com. |
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