Former Milledgeville councilman denies new DUI charge

Former Milledgeville City Councilman Phillip Joiner denies that he was drunk when he was arrested Monday night and charged with DUI.

Joiner was arrested by the Georgia State Patrol and accused of DUI — at least his third such charge.

Yesterday, he was also charged with failure to maintain a lane, an expired vehicle tag, and violating the open container law.

Joiner says the open container was a sample-sized liquor bottle in his console.

He said he hadn’t been drinking from it.

As for the expired tag, Joiner says he didn’t understand that he had to renew his December tag by his birthday, not the end of the month.

According to Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee, Joiner was pulled over by a trooper for not maintaining his lane. Massee says Joiner then refused to take a breathalyzer test in that stop, but was still arrested and charged.

via Former Milledgeville councilman denies new DUI charge.