A city councilman publicly apologized Thursday after being issued a citation for possessing a misdemeanor amount of marijuana over the weekend.
Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard was the passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over for speeding near the intersection of Jess Lyons Road and Military Road on Sunday, Sheriff Eddie Hawkins told The Dispatch. When the deputy who pulled the vehicle over smelled marijuana, he conducted a search and found less than one ounce. Beard claimed the marijuana belonged to him, not the driver.
“He was issued a citation instead of being arrested, and the driver was cited for speeding,” Hawkins said.
Beard sent messages to media outlets, including a letter to The Dispatch, and posted an apology Thursday evening on Facebook, though he did not mention the marijuana or the traffic stop in those apologies.
“I hold full responsibility for my actions and I would like to personally and wholeheartedly apologize!!” he says in the post. “I will not go into full details on the matter due to it being a personal issue!! My hope and prayers are for us to not forget yet to forgive me for making such a careless mistake. I’ve enjoyed representing all of you and will continue to represent Ward 4 to the best of my ability!!
“No I am not exempt from the law as you can tell…” the statement goes on to say. “Let us continue to work with each other and build each other up. We all have flaws!!!”
Beard told The Dispatch he does plan to run for re-election to his council seat in this year’s municipal elections, though he had not qualified with the City Registrar’s Office by press time Friday.
He declined to comment on the traffic stop or citation other than to say: “I can tell you it’s blown up bigger than what it was.”
He said he has not yet been given a court date.
The fine for misdemeanor possession of marijuana is up to $1,000.
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