RSS15th District incumbent Taylor pleaded guilty to DUI
Yakima Herald-Republic
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- State Rep. David Taylor says he's learned his lesson from a drunken-driving arrest in 2003.
"I recognized it as a mistake at the time and decided not to plea down ... simply took responsibility for it and moved on," Taylor said in a telephone interview.
Taylor, a 37-year-old Republican from Moxee, is running to retain his 15th District seat in the state House of Representatives. He was appointed in March to replace Dan Newhouse, who resigned to accept a job as director of the state Department of Agriculture.
Though he is unopposed in the Republican primary, Taylor's name is on the Aug. 18 ballot.
The DUI conviction in Kittitas County District Court in Ellensburg came to light when the Yakima Herald-Republic reviewed criminal and civil court records for candidates in this and other races.
Ellensburg police arrested Taylor about 2 a.m. Dec. 28, 2003, after an officer saw his truck stop well past the stop sign at Fifth Avenue and Pearl Street.
After field sobriety tests, Taylor provided breath samples of .163 and .170, more than double the .08 threshold for drunken driving, according to the police report.
The city's prosecutor later amended that down to .14 for reasons that were not clear in court records.
DUI cases involving alcohol readings above .15 can result in greater jail time and fines, and they can lead to a driver's license being revoked instead of suspended.
Taylor said Friday he recalled that the official result was amended because of a problem with the initial reading.
Fran Chmelewski, an Ellensburg attorney who prosecuted the case for the city of Ellensburg, did not return phone messages left at her office since Friday.
******
Taylor said he was in the Ellensburg area for a friend's wedding when he was arrested. After the wedding, he headed downtown for something to eat, then planned to go to a home where he had arranged to stay the night.
He was only a couple of blocks away from the home when he was stopped, but he stressed that he was not trying to make excuses for the bad judgment call that led him to drive.
"There are no excuses," he said.
He was ordered to pay about $1,900 for a fine and other court-ordered charges. Although he had planned to serve 15 days on electronic home monitoring, he eventually served a day in the Kittitas County jail as part of his sentence.
He said that made it easier to accommodate a scheduled cattle drive that he was working on.
Taylor was working as Kittitas County planning director at the time and said he was not disciplined for the arrest by county commissioners. Taylor said he left the Kittitas County job about four months later, in early 2004, because he decided to start a land-use consulting business that he and his wife continue to run.
He said he did not disclose the arrest to county commissioners in the 15th District when he applied and interviewed for the legislative appointment, although he discussed it privately with a couple of commissioners when they asked about it. The 15th District includes all or part of Yakima, Klickitat, Skamania and Clark counties.
Max Golladay, chairman of the Yakima County Republican Party, said applicants were not required to disclose their criminal history, if any.
Golladay, who was a Kittitas County commissioner at the time of the arrest, said Taylor informed him soon after he had been arrested.
"Dave's up front about everything. He's not bashful," Golladay said Tuesday.
Taylor said the arrest has not had an impact on his abilities as a state lawmaker.
He said he no longer drives if he has had more than two drinks. His wife, who typically avoids alcohol when out in public, takes the wheel, he said.
He said he believes the average voter can understand that he made a mistake and paid the price for it.
"The way I was raised and the way I raised my kids, if you screw up you take responsibility for it and not try to weasel out of it," Taylor said.
* Mark Morey can be reached at 509-577-7671 or mmorey@yakimaherald.com.
I am disappointed in the Yakima Herald for printing this article. It appears to be nothing more than political propaganda. It says alot about a newspaper when it cannot go out and investigate relevant news to the community, and instead must resort to airing "dirty laundry." We all have made mistakes in our life, but does this information do anything more than try to damage an individual's name. Perhaps the editor should evaluate the content of its news before resorting to this type of mudslinging.
Report ViolationReporting facts is not "mud-slinging." Those are opposing concepts.
The real issue is that we are learning these facts just a few days before ballots are due. Most of us have already voted without having this very pertinent information. The same goes for the accompanying article on Democratic candididate Donicio Marichalar.
Better late than never, YHR, but what took so long?
No. I agree a DUI is worth reporting. Any alcohol related is important to report because it is something that may influence his job. Mr. Taylor though seems to have learned from his mistakes and that is good enough for me
Report Violation"Though he is unopposed in the Republican primary, Taylor's name is on the Aug. 18 ballot."
The point of reporting this at this time is to let us know well inn advance of the REAL election, that disparages us voting for him later. IN this way, the paper copycats the Bonlender, Ross, Ensey thing - again. This was 6 YEARS AGO!
He has obviously paid his debt and has had no repeats since, as obviously proven by the records check as well - but was that fact mentioned? NO, because the YHR would then shoot their attempt at sensationalism and to influence yet another elected position toward a Democrat, in the foot.
DUI is a crime - Mr. Taylor plead guilty to that crime -that is what the article reported and Mr. Taylor chose to explained the circumstances. Those of you who don't think it is important information for voters to have in making their decision on who to select to represent them are self centered. Elections are not just about you need or don't need to know about a candidate to form an opinion. Other people do want this information because it DOES affect how they will vote - right or wrong - that's what they need. So, what qualifies as pertinent criminal background information for incumbents and/or candidates and who gets to decide that?
Report ViolationSounds to me like the YHR felt a little bad about running an article last week about Dave Ettl and his DUI, so they wanted it to look like they weren't just picking on him.
Report ViolationDidn't anyone read about the conflicting blood alcohol reporting. Don't you find this typical republican foolishness and I'm better than the average citizen so I should get off attitude. If it were you or I we would have the book thrown at us. Oh well, same ol' same ol'.
Report ViolationDidn't anyone read about the conflicting blood alcohol reporting. Don't you find this typical republican foolishness and I'm better than the average citizen so I should get off attitude. If it were you or I we would have the book thrown at us. Oh well, same ol' same ol'.
Report Violationcisea55,
How is conflicting blood alcohol readings republican foolishness? That's like saying my PC crashed because of liberal's inability to do a backflip. Your statement, however, is another lame liberal attempt to demonize republicans with no foundation in fact.
The Herald did not dissapoint my expectation of the Herald to dissapoint! At least they brought up the Democrat Marichalar's inability to do his job.
Dave Taylor is a stand up guy who took responsibility for a big mistake and made amends. He's not making excuses or blaming someone else like his opponent is.
Dave Taylor is the correct choice for the 15th.
The Sandwich Peddler era of Chicago style politics has arrived in Yakima. Maybe the local business paper will run background checks on the YHR staff?
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