Travis County Attorney David Escamilla today said his office will not prosecute a drunken driving case against popular Austin radio host Jeff Ward.
Ward, afternoon host on 590 AM KLBJ, was arrested last Thursday night after officers pulled him over at about 11 p.m. in the 1200 block of West Sixth Street. He insisted he was not drunk in a posting on the station’s website the following morning.
Escamilla said today that on the morning following Ward’s arrest, Police Chief Art Acevedo contacted his office to express concerns about the case.
“Based on their internal review, APD expressed concerns about significant weaknesses in the arrest, specifically whether probable cause existed to file a DWI charge,” Escamilla said in a statement today. “After our review of the evidence, including the officer’s in-car video, we confirmed to APD that there was not sufficient evidence to support a DWI charge. Therefore, the Travis County attorneys office will take no further action.”
Last month, the Statesman reported that nearly a third of drunken driving cases are dismissed each year after what prosecutors said was often a lack of evidence.