Toms river mayoral candidate says dui arrest was 'regrettable mistake'

TOMS RIVER, NJ – As the campaign for mayor in Toms River heats up between Councilman Daniel Rodrick and Congressman Andy Kim Staffer Ben Giovine, barbs are being exchanged.

In a mailer sent out last week, Rodrick said Giovine and his team were unfit for office as they have shown numerous times they exhibit poor choices when it comes to their personal lives, adding that will carry over into their public office should they succeed in November.

Rodrick said Giovine’s 2014 driving under the influence arrest in Neptune Township is a prime example of Giovine’s poor judgment. At the time, Giovine was a member of the Toms River Regional School Board and running a campaign re-election that he won later that year. He was also unemployed and in foreclosure at the time, according to court documents.

He was charged by Neptune police for Driving Under the Influence of Drugs; Alcohol according to a police report released by the Neptune Township Police Department.

He was also charged with reckless driving and for a light failure on his vehicle.

Arresting officer D. Harris conducted a breathalyzer test on Giovine in which he registered a .108 blood alcohol level, above the .08 New Jersey limit. Officer Harris noted in his report that Giovine was swaying and staggering during his roadside sobriety test.

Police noted when reciting the alphabet, Giovine could not get past the letter D, having to stop and think before continuing on. Officer Harris said he initially pulled Giovine over for a faulty headline and upon engaging with Giovine, noticed a ‘strong odor [of] an alcoholic beverage coming from within the vehicle.’

“Due to the overwhelming odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from the vehicle, I asked Giovine if he had been consuming alcohol,” Harris said.

Giovine claimed he had two beers at the Stone Pony earlier that night and one at another bar shortly before heading out on the road back to Toms River.

“People make mistakes,” Giovine said. “I made one and it’s regrettable.”

Rodrick also made reference to multiple arrests on record for Giovine’s running mate Rhetta Jackson-Fair.

Fair has a long rap sheet dating back to 1998 that includes identity crimes, multiple assaults, stealing a car, harassment, theft, and multiple cases of passing bad checks, according to the New Jersey Courts.

This week, Giovine accused Rodrick of sending mailers with false and defamatory claims against him and his running mates. Rodrick said his opponents are trying to hide the truth from voters.

“It’s all there to see on the public record,” Rodrick said. “Everything in the mailer was true, including Giovine’s DUI arrest and his running mate’s criminal record.”

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