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Police: Barkley was nearly double legal limit
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A booking photo of Charles Barkley.
One-thousandth of a percent made the difference for former Phoenix Suns superstar Charles Barkley in dodging an extreme DUI charge in downtown Scottsdale last week.
Barkley, 45, was arrested at 1:27 a.m. Dec. 31 by a Gilbert police officer after Barkley ran a stop sign at 75th Street and Sixth Avenue during an East Valley DUI Task Force crackdown, police said. Barkley had a blood-alcohol content of .149, according to information released by the Gilbert Police Department on Friday.
Barkley’s BAC level is nearly twice the legal limit of .08, and if convicted for the misdemeanor, he could face one day to six months in jail, suspension of his driver’s license for 90 days to one year and up to a $2,500 fine, according to penalties under Arizona’s DUI laws.
If Barkley’s BAC level would have been .15, it would have been classified as an extreme DUI offense, and he could have been facing a 30-day to 6-month jail sentence, revocation of his driver’s license and up to a $2,500 fine.
Police impounded Barkley’s vehicle and sent him home at 3 a.m. in a taxi. Barkley was cooperative and polite during the arrest, police said.
Barkley played 16 NBA seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets.
Barkley’s attorney, Larry Kazan, entered an innocent plea on Barkley’s behalf in Scottsdale City Court on Thursday, and Barkley is scheduled to appear in Scottsdale City Court at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 for a hearing before Judge James Black, according to information from the city court.
Hours after the announcement, Turner Sports said Barkley is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the NBA broadcast booth, the Associated Press reported.
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