Former Riverside Police Chief Russ Leach pleaded guilty to driving under the influence earlier this month and was sentenced to 30 days' house arrest, three years' probation, $1,700 in fines and alcohol education programs. However, the Los Angeles Times reports that the Riverside Police Department mishandled the incident in which the former police chief crashed a city-owned car after a night of drinking.
When a person is suspected of DUI, Riverside police are supposed to conduct field sobriety tests, collect physical evidence, and put the person under arrest. But with the case of Russ Leach, the law enforcers allegedly decided to just drive the suspect home. This type of treatment is not supposed to be permitted under the law.
City Manager Bradley Hudson said in a statement, "It is clear that the former chief was given preferential treatment." Former Riverside County District Attorney Grover Trask is now leading an internal investigation of the Riverside Police Department to see if Russ Leach really received such preferential treatment.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the investigation will not be completed until May. Even if enough evidence is gathered to determine that the former police chief received preferential treatment, it's unclear if anybody involved in the incident will even be punished.
"In our society every individual is equal before the law," Bradley Hudson told the Los Angeles Times. "The Riverside Police Department remains committed to this fundamental premise, and I believe that the specifics of this situation do not reflect well upon the department as a whole."
Related Resources:
- Former Riverside Police Chief Facing DUI Charge (FindLaw's Los Angeles DUI Blog)
- DUI - Arrest (FindLaw)
- Find a Los Angeles DUI Defense Lawyer (FindLaw)
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