US Airways Chairman and CEO Doug Parker, who was arrested in Arizona several weeks ago for speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol, entered a guilty plea this morning to one of the DUI charges. Prosecutors asked that a second DUI charge and the speeding charge be dismissed.CNN is reporting that Parker entered the guilty plea against the advice of his attorney.
Parker, who appeared at the Scottsdale Municipal Court this morning, was sentenced to one day in jail, according to an Associated Press article, published in USA Today and elsewhere:
Municipal Court Judge Joseph Olcavage ordered Parker to spend 24 hours in jail on March 15. Olcavage also fined Parker $1,646.25 and ordered him to be screened by a doctor to determine if he has a problem with alcohol addiction.At the time of his arrest, the 45 year old airline executive's blood-alcohol level was found to be 0.096, according to a police report. The legal limit in Arizona is 0.08.
A Reuters article about today's court appearance adds that Parker admitted earlier this month to three other alcohol- related incidents when he was in his twenties. He has said, however, that the most recent incident was "a mistake, not a trend."
Reuters also notes that the CEO's day in jail starts one day after US Airways annual Media Day, during which journalists visit the carrier's headquarters to meet with airline officials.
