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Pa. driver's license unaffected by county sheriff's W.Va. DUI
Staff writer
If anyone sees Washington County Sheriff Sam Romano behind the wheel of a county car or other vehicle in Pennsylvania since he entered a guilty plea to drunken driving in West Virginia, it's perfectly legal for him to drive here.
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Danielle E. Klinger, community relations coordinator, wrote in an e-mail that "if an individual is convicted of a DUI offense in another state, the law requires that PennDOT treat it as a conviction of the lowest (blood-alcohol content.) If it is the individual's first DUI offense, no suspension would be imposed."
Romano's blood-alcohol content was 0.231 percent, nearly three times the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle in either West Virginia or Pennsylvania.
The sheriff did not return phone calls Tuesday or Wednesday seeking comment on his guilty plea.
A first offender arrested for DUI in Pennsylvania could be offered admission to the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, which includes loss of a license for up to 60 days depending on the blood-alcohol content, a fine of between $300 and $5,000 and related fees and court costs, undergoing an evaluation for drug and alcohol abuse and attendance at a highway safety school.
West Virginia will give Romano the option of attending highway safety classes there or in Pennsylvania.
When he was charged June 4 near Parsons, W.Va., in Tucker County, Romano was at the wheel of a black Mercedes-Benz owned by his fiancee, Angie Conner. After his arrest, Romano spent more than 14 hours at Tygart Valley Regional Jail. At his hearing, Tucker County Magistrate Riley Barb gave Romano credit for his time served, waiving additional jail time. Barb also fined Romano $100 and ordered him to pay $239 in court costs.
time for a change : 7/24/2008
It is time for PA to change this outdated policy. It's crazy to think that at 3X the limit, PA drops it so low, he is still able to drive legally. He probably knew that which is why he went to WV to get skunked.
drunk sheriff : 7/24/2008
same old same old if you ask me....Sam Romano has been the same type of person since I knew him in the Trinity district when we went to school together. Arrogant, cocky and a snake to boot. We all make mistakes and most of us probably have driven drunk at some point in our lives. I have. But I was not nor am not a public figure -- especially not one in law enforcement. So anytime one of his deputies pulls over a suspected DUI they should get the same EASY treatment he received? What a crock!! A criminal is a criminal even if he is a sheriff!!
thats bull : 7/25/2008
that not right he got caught out of state pendot should of took his license for a year. he was three times the legal limit how did he get ard?
How it works : 7/26/2008
To Serve and Protect - EACH OTHER!
