RI Lawmaker Pleads Not Guilty to DUI and Drug Charges

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Rhode Island lawmaker pleaded not guilty Tuesday morning in New Haven Superior Court to driving under the influence (DUI) and drug charges stemming from an April incident.

“I’m not guilty of the charges, and I intend to fight them as necessary,” Rep. Robert A. Watson said as he left the courtroom.

Watson, an East Greenwich Republican and at the time the state’s House Minority Leader, was charged with driving under the influence (DUI), marijuana possession, and possession of drug paraphernalia after he was stopped around 9:30 p.m., April 22, at a sobriety checkpoint.

His next court date is Nov. 15.

Read the full article, by Katie Mulvaney, in the Providence Journal.