Charleston Attorney Roy Willey Popped For Driving Under The Influence

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A Charleston, South Carolina attorney with close ties to former mayor John Tecklenburg was arrested and charged with driving under the influence following an incident last Thursday (March 21, 2024) in Mount Pleasant, S.C.

Roy Willey IV, 37, of Sullivans Island, S.C., was observed speeding and swerving in his vehicle – a 2015 Mercedes-Benz – near Shem Creek on West Coleman Boulevard, Mount Pleasant’s main thoroughfare.

“The defendant had glossy eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his breath,” a probable cause affidavit accompanying Willey’s arrest warrant noted.

Willey didn’t make it easy on the arresting officers, according to the affidavit. After telling them he had consumed a single eight-ounce serving of Pinot Grigio, he proceeded to roll up his car window – and refused to get out of the vehicle unless he was being placed under arrest.

It wasn’t long before officers accommodated him …

(Click to View)

Willey was “advised that if he did not exit the vehicle that he would be extracted from the vehicle.”

“Defendant refused to exit his vehicle and had to be forced out,” the affidavit noted.

Willey was described by arresting officers as “very lethargic during our interaction.”

Willey refused to submit to a field sobriety test at the scene of the arrest and refused to submit to a breathalyzer examination upon arriving at Mount Pleasant police headquarters. He subsequently refused to provide blood samples at two nearby medical labs – claiming he was suffering from “abdominal pain.”

“The defendant asked for affirmative assistance and then refused to have labs done by the doctor at the hospital,” the affidavit alleged.

Eventually, Willey was transported to the sheriff Al Cannon detention center, where he was booked at 12:16 a.m. EDT on March 22, 2024 and charged with suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI). Willey was released shortly thereafter on his own recognizance.

News of Willey’s arrest was first reported by Ralph Mancini, editor of The Moultrie News.

As with anyone accused of committing any crime, Willey is considered innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until such time as he may wish to enter some form of allocution in connection with a plea agreement with prosecutors related to the charge filed against him.

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Willey is no stranger to controversy. Five years ago his wife, Kelsey O. Willey, was briefly nominated by former mayor Tecklenburg to serve as an associate municipal court judge – an apparent sop to Roy Willey for his campaign contributions.

After this media outlet exposed the quid pro quo, Tecklenburg reversed course and declined to nominate Willey’s wife to the post.

Of interest? The first offense DUI charge against Willey has not appeared on the S.C. ninth circuit’s public index – which contains all civil and criminal court proceedings involvement residents of the circuit (unless the charges are expunged or the file in question is sealed).

This media outlet has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Mount Pleasant police department in the hopes of obtained dashcam and body-worn camera footage from Willey’s arrest. Stay tuned for updates as information is made available.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.

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