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SPRINGFIELD, La.— The mayor and the police chief of Springfield were indicted by a grand jury for trying to conceal a woman's DWI citation, according to Attorney General Buddy Caldwell.
A Livingston Parish grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Mayor Charles Martin, 62, and Police Chief James Jones, 48, said a statement from Caldwell.
“The two officials intentionally misused their authority and positions of public trust, and they knowingly tried to obstruct the prosecution of a DWI case,” Assistant Attorney General David Caldwell said.
Martin and Jones were indicted on charges of obstruction of justice, criminal conspiracy to obstruct justice, injuring public records and criminal conspiract to injure public records, according to Caldwell.
The charges come from a DWI arrest on April 10, 2011 that Martin and Jones tried to allegedly conceal, according to Caldwell.
According to a WAFB report, Tyra Jones was arrested by a Springfield Police officer and blew twice the legal limit on a breathalyzer at the police station. She was pulled over after driving on the wrong side of the road.
The mayor, according to the WAFB report, came the station and asked the officer for a favor regarding Jones' DWI citation. The officer refused and took Jones to jail.
Ultimately, the DWI charge was reduced to careless operation, according to the WAFB report.
