Mecklenburg officer’s conviction may void arrests

CHARLOTTE, NC (AP) — A Mecklenburg County prosecutor says
drivers who received a traffic ticket or drunken driving citation
from a police officer convicted of criminal contempt may get a
reprieve.

The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday that more than 100
citations issued by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Officer Barry
Grimes are being reviewed to determine if the charges can be
prosecuted.

Grimes was convicted Monday of criminal contempt for testifying
falsely in a drunken driving pretrial hearing.

Grimes testified that he gave two sobriety tests to a driver he
arrested for DWI, although video of the incident did not show any
tests.
.
Grimes had worked for the police department since 2008.

He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $500. Grimes
remains free while he appeals the conviction.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)