A Hattiesburg Municipal Court deputy clerk confirmed Wednesday that Marty Turner, who was sworn in Monday as Ward 4 Columbus Councilman, owes $1,416.77 from a DUI second offense conviction from more than two years ago.
Turner, 35, was booked and transferred to Forrest County Jail at 1:50 a.m. Dec. 19, 2010, according to an incident report obtained by The Dispatch from Hattiesburg Police Department Public Information Officer Jon Traxler. The narrative states officers identified Turner driving a blue 2011 Hyundai by an expired driver’s license at a safety checkpoint.
“Officers believed the driver to be impaired, at which time they performed (a standard field sobriety test) which showed clues of impairment,” the report states. “Turner was then taken (to) Hattiesburg Police Department where he was given a breath test. Based on the result of the test, he was transported to the Forrest County Jail and booked for DUI 2nd Offense based on a prior conviction in Jones County.”
The report said the first DUI was within five years prior to the second.
Traxler said he had no information as to whether Hattiesburg police were currently seeking him for arrest.
“I know the courts have many ways to allow people to pay off any fines that they are convicted of,” Traxler said.
Turner Wednesday confirmed in a text message that he still owed the city of Hattiesburg and would have the fine paid by Friday.
“This is a fight of non importance to the issues that we have facing in Columbus. We all know how the judicial system is(.) (H)ow long will people be punished for the deeds or misdeeds that are done (?)” Turner said. “It’s not about the individual(.) (I)t’s about the city.”
The Dispatch previously reported that Turner’s business, Turner Furniture LLC, had yet to satisfy a $56,023.84 judgment regarding back rent owed to the landlord of his business’ former location in Gateway Shopping Center as well as a cumulative $10,003.53 in other judgments to the Mississippi Department of Revenue. Records indicated that on Jan. 20, 2011, Gateway Shopping Center was awarded a principal sum of $42,028.39 for unpaid rent and $13,995.45 in attorney fees from Turner in Lowndes County Court.
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
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