Herb Rule Pleads Not Guilty; Dashcam Video Released

Second District Democratic Congressional Candidate Herb Rule entered a plea of “not guilty” this morning in district court via a letter from his attorney.  Rule is being charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) following his arrest by Fayetteville police on August 9.

Rule has insisted all along that he was not drunk and vowed to fight what he called “trumped up” charges.  However, the dashcam below shows some inconsistency in what he claims.

For starters, there is the inconsistency with what Rule tells police officers and what he told the press the next day when he said he had one ounce of Talisker (scotch whiskey). However, he insisted to police he had “nothing.”

Police – “How much have you had to drink tonight?”
Rule – “Nothing.”
Police – “You have not had anything to drink?”
Rule – “No.”
Police – “Are you sure? It’s better to be honest with me.”
Rule is then silent for a few seconds before asking for the officer’s badge number. The officer tells him that he will get everything he needs.
Police – “What I want to know is how much have you had to drink.”
Rule – “I already told you twice – three times.”
Police – “Well, we smell some alcohol on you and the passenger said she is not aware of how much you have had.”
Rule – “No, she didn’t say that. You are misstating what she said. Tell me what she said.”
Later, the other officer explains the passenger told him that the passenger did not know “how many” drinks Rule had consumed.

A back-and-forth takes place where the police ask Rule to submit to a field sobriety test and Rule questions where they have probable cause.  He finally agrees and he fails the test as the video shows and as is explained in the police report – “Rule performed the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing in a manner consistent with that of an intoxicated person.”

As with my previous posts on Rule’s two other arrests in the last three years, I invite my readers to view the video, read the police report, and form their own opinions.  Other than an uneventful ride back to the police station, I have posted the dash cam in its entirety for you to do so.