| MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Monday that late last week the state Grand Jury for Shelby County had indicted former State Senator Kathryn Bowers for reckless driving.
According to the indictment, Bowers was recklessly driving her vehicle on August 31, 2006. Memphis police issued Ms. Bowers a misdemeanor citation for reckless driving, along with driving under the influence (DUI) and failure to exercise due care. The citation states that police officers were called to the scene of an accident involving Bowers and a UPS truck on Interstate-40 near the Hollywood exit.
In February, the District Attorney’s Office dismissed the charges of DUI and failure to exercise due care when results from a toxicology test performed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation concluded that there was an insufficient amount of drugs present. Bowers waived her right to a preliminary hearing on the reckless driving charge.
“It was clear there was not enough evidence to prosecute Ms. Bowers for DUI. Therefore that charge, and the charge of failure to exercise due care, were not presented to the Grand Jury for indictment. The reckless driving indictment reflects what we believe we can prove,” said District Attorney Gibbons.
The charge of reckless driving is a Class B misdemeanor, which carries a maximum six month sentence and $500 fine.
The Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office has not yet set a date for arraignment. |