House deputy leader pleads no contest in DUI case
12:50 PM Thu, Oct 22, 2009 | Permalink
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WARWICK, R.I. -- House Deputy Majority Leader Raymond J. Sullivan, charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol, changed his plea to no contest in mid-trial Thursday. The Coventry Democrat submitted the new plea after Judge Anthony Capraro of Kent County District Court said he would admit evidence showing that the breath analyzing machine used by state police had been properly certified. Capraro suspended Sullivan's license for three months, fined him $500 and ordered him to perform 20 hours of community service. Sullivan also must attend an anti-drunk-driving school and pay $500 in assessments. "At the end of the day this is on me, and I needed to accept the responsibility," Sullivan said, "and try to make amends and move on." The state police arrested Sullivan, 32, on April 22 on Route 95 north in Warwick. Troopers parked on the right shoulder of the highway said they saw a Ford Explorer pass them, driving partially in the breakdown lane. The troopers said they pulled Sullivan over after seeing him swerve a few more times. They said he dropped his license when he tried to pull it from his wallet and slurred his speech. He told the state police he had had two drinks, according to the report. When asked to recite the alphabet, the police said, he got as far "p" before having trouble and ended with "r, t, x, r, z," according to the report. The report said Sullivan's breath test registered 0.178. The legal limit is 0.08. In a second test, it said he registered 0.179. The prosecution called Emilie Aries, Sullivan's girlfriend, as a witness. She testified that the pair had stayed at a Warwick bar and restaurant until closing. She said that Sullivan had two or three drinks during the time they were there. Aries was recently named Rhode Island state director for the Obama campaign off-shoot group Organizing for America. Extra: Details of Rep. Sullivan's drunken-driving arrest emerge 
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Is this guy kidding???? He got off easy, let's hope no one is near him when it happens again.
He needs to step down and get his left in order.
What is wrong with the Leadership in the GA, not a word from them. Absolutely outrageous.
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0.179, thats two or three real stiff martinis. At least he didn't play the "do you know who I am" card. Now its on to doing the work of the people.
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.179? How big were those 2 or 3 drinks? He should have admitted it in April and ended the case instead of spending thousands of dollars and wasting court time looking for a loophole!
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GOOD OL' RAY THE MAN THE MITH. KIND OF A MITHERY MAN. YOU GOTTA LOVE RHODE ISLAND
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I am happy he made this decision; not why he made it, but happy he made it. Own up and don't do it again!
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Ray Sullivan is a pompous jerk who is no better than any other defendant before a judge. He thinks he is better, but Sullivan is an embarrassment to both the State of Rhode Island and the constituents he barely represents. Here is hoping the voters are sober when the vote next term and make the right choice. My guess is Ray Sullivan won't be.
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Thankfully no one was injured, Unlike when VP Dick Cheney, drank a "Few" beers the went "hunting" for elderly Lawyers.
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"I needed to accept the responsibilty." !!!!!!!!
Yeah, right!
ONLY after he couldn't get the breath evidence thrown out!!! Nice sense of "responsibility", Rep DUI.
Also a classic move: buying off the witness by giving her a job as State Director of Obama' Organizing for America, a group that is in conflict with our state party.
Too bad you won't be running next year, Rep DUI, it would have been a blast to see you get a measly 30% of the vote.
Go hide your disgraced and shamed head, errand boy.
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Should have done this the mourning after, er I mean morning.
What a waste of time.
Does the Rhode Island General Assembly have a Code of Ethics?
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Anyone who drinks and drives deserves everything the courts can throw at them. I have heard of a number of people who have been killed by drunk drivers
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