Driving Drunk With A Gun And A Cup Of Rum
Pamela M. Cheney, a resident of Grayling, MI is facing ‘super drunk’ charges, along with a host of other felonies courtesy of an incident on Monday, May 26th.
At about 6:30pm, a Michigan State Trooper was dispatched to an area in Mount Forest Township after a motorist called 911. The caller said that she was following a suspected drunk driver in a blue 2008 Ford station wagon.
The trooper located the car and pulled the driver over. According to the trooper’s report, both the driver and the car itself smelled strongly of alcohol. Upon approaching the vehicle, the trooper noticed a cup in the center console. Cheney told him it was Diet Vernors and rum. She gave the cup to the trooper.
Cheney was asked to get out of the car, but was not able to stand unassisted; leaning on the car for support. Cheney explained that she and her sister had been at her mother’s gravesite and that she was taking an opportunity to grieve.
The trooper administered a Breathalyzer test, and Cheney’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was 0.358 %. Under Michigan law, it is illegal for a person to drive with a BAC of more than .08 %. The Michigan Super Drunk law applies to drivers whose BAC is .17 % or higher, increasing penalties like fines and jail time to almost double that of a standard drunk driving conviction.
Cheney’s car was searched and the Trooper discovered two bottles of Captain Morgan Rum. One was empty and the other contained about a third of the bottle of rum. He also found a .40-caliber handgun in a case and a box of bullets. The gun was not loaded.
Cheney has been charged with a single count of carrying a concealed weapon, which is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison, carrying a concealed pistol while under the influence, having an open intoxicant in a motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of 0.17 or higher.
Cheney appeared for her preliminary examination on the super drunk charges in the Bay County District Court, before Judge Mark E. Janer, on June 10th.
