The Morning Call Archives

Copyright © 2010 The Morning Call

ID: 4738602
Publication Date: October 6, 2010
Day: Wednesday
Page: A5
Edition: FIFTH
Section: News
Type: Local
Dateline:
Column:
Length: medium

Byline: Christopher Baxter OF THE MORNING CALL

Headline: Councilman facing DUI charge **Jeffrey Warren, arrested in

Hellertown in January, leads Easton's public safety panel.

An Easton councilman at the helm of the city's public safety committee

faces drunken driving charges stemming from an early morning traffic
stop in January, according to court documents, and is scheduled to appear
before a judge next month.

Jeffrey Warren, 33, of 860 Cattell St., was pulled over about 1:30 a.m.
Jan. 23 on the 1600 block of Main Street in Hellertown after speeding past
a police officer monitoring traffic, documents show. Warren said Tuesday
he was returning home from a night out drinking with friends.

Officer Michael Dattilio said in a complaint filed with District Judge

David Tidd in Lower Saucon Township that Warren had "red, glassy
eyes" and smelled of alcohol. Blood tests taken an hour and a half after
the traffic stop indicated Warren had a blood-alcohol level of 0.18
percent, more than twice the legal limit, the complaint states.

Hellertown police filed two charges of driving drunk and a related

summary traffic offense on June 23, five months after the traffic stop.
Hellertown police Chief Robert Shupp did not return a message seeking
comment on the timing of the charges.

Warren and his attorney, James Burke of Bethlehem, also could not
explain the timing. Warren was released on his own recognizance. He is
scheduled to next appear Nov. 29 in Northampton County Court,
according to online court records for Pennsylvania.

Warren has not previously been charged with driving drunk in the state,
court records show.

The charges were not public other than in court filings until discovered
Tuesday by The Morning Call.

Warren said in a phone interview that he would not step down from his
position as head of City Council's public safety committee, which
oversees police and fire issues. He added he did not tell the public about
his arrest because it was a "personal situation."

"While this situation is extremely unfortunate and I'm very remorseful for
what happened with this mistake, I believe I'm still able to serve our city
and our residents in the capacity which I have been serving," Warren said.

He apologized to his friends, family and colleagues and called his

behavior a "terrible mistake."

Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said Warren told him of the charges shortly after the
traffic stop and he advised the first-term councilman to "come clean with
it as soon as possible" to the public. Panto added he does not believe the
charges interfere with Warren's work on the public safety committee.

"If this was habitual or worse, then yes, absolutely," Panto said. "I don't
defend DUIs. I told him that. I don't believe people should be drinking and
driving. Fortunately for him, he learned his lesson without hurting himself
or anyone else."

Aside from City Council, Warren also works as chief legislative aide to
state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton. Warren said he told Boscola
about the charges and that he was suspended for one week in February
without pay.

Steve DeFrank, Boscola's chief of staff, confirmed the suspension and

said there were no concerns about Warren continuing to work for the
senator.

Leading up to his election in 2007, and during his nearly three years of
service, Warren has touted a no-nonsense approach to crime in Easton. In
2008, he advocated cracking down on city police officers charged with
drunken driving.
christopher.baxter@mcall.com

610-778-2283