Police video shows former U.S. attorney blow alcohol level nearly 3 times legal limit
A Edwardsville police video shows former U.S. Attorney Steve Wigginton take a breath test that indicated his alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit to drive.
Wigginton also was unable to follow Officer John Arendell’s directions during the field sobriety test on Dec. 26 when he was arrested on a DUI charge for the third time since 2017 in Madison County.
The police department said Wigginton was given a preliminary breath test in the parking lot of shopping center. It showed that Wigginton’s alcohol level was 0.236%.
“That’s considerably more than the legal limit,” Arendell told Wigginton.
“Well, I know that,” Wigginton replied.
The legal limit to drive in Illinois is 0.08%
After he blew into the breath measurement device, Wigginton told Arendell, “That’s not real.”
Sobriety test
Conversation between Wigginton and Arendell were recorded in the dashboard video, which was released by police to the Belleville News-Democrat Monday in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.
“My legs are real shaky,” Wigginton said when he was asked to perform sobriety tests.
Wigginton, 56, of Edwardsville, also told Arendell he had been in the hospital for eight days.
Arendell asked Wigginton to walk nine steps in a heel-to-toe manner in one direction and then return. Instead, Wigginton counted out 10 steps but the steps were not heel to toe. He also walked back to where he started, but, again, not according to the instructions.
When Arendell asked Wigginton to stand on one foot, Wigginton said, “Honestly officer, I don’t think I can do that.”
Wigginton also denied that he was intoxicated.
Before Wigginton took the breath test, Arendell told him, “At this point, I have enough to believe you are under the influence of alcohol, OK, based on your speech, your steadiness on your feet, your eyes are red, you’re bloodshot and the alcohol odor emitting from your breath.”
Wigginton was arrested last month after another motorist reported a “minor” crash on Club Centre Court near Illinois 157 at about 5 p.m. Dec. 26, Police Chief Jay Keeven has said. No injuries were reported in the crash.
Along with a DUI charge, Wigginton was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
Wigginton could not be reached for comment on Monday and online Madison County Court records do not list an attorney for Wigginton on the new DUI charge.
Previous charges
Prior to this DUI case, Wigginton was charged with DUI on Dec. 31, 2018, in Edwardsville and that case is pending. He was arrested after his ex-wife called to say he was intoxicated. In 2017, he was charged with a DUI in Troy following a single-vehicle crash and he pleaded guilty to that charge shortly after he was arrested.
Since Wigginton previously served in the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office, a special prosecutor, David Rands, was assigned to handle Wigginton’s DUI charges, including the most recent.
Rands could not be reached for comment on Monday.
Wigginton, a Democrat, served as the U.S. attorney for Southern Illinois from 2010 to 2015.
For his latest DUI charge, Wigginton’s court date is set for Feb. 5.
Wigginton’s next court for his 2018 New Year’s Eve DUI is now scheduled for Feb. 6, the day after his court date for his most recent DUI charge. It previously was slated for Jan. 2 but it was continued until next month. This was at least the fourth time the case had been continued.
