Cop Guilty in Drinking Driving Case

Written by Glen Morrison Friday, 12 March 2010 11:11 107.5 KISSFM:

A Vernon Mountie has been fined and had his licence pulled for a year in a drinking driving related case. Constable Jody Turpin was arrested December 19th by two other officers who'd spotted a man behind the wheel of a parked vehicle. They thought he was about to drive his personal vehicle and recommended impaired charges. Cst Turpin has now had the original charge of care and control of a vehicle while impaired stayed by the Crown. He in turn pled guilty to failing to provide a breath sample, that produced the thousand dollar fine and suspension .Senior RCMP staff are preparing a statement on the case.
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By: Darcy Wintonyk, ctvbc.ca Date: Friday Mar. 12, 2010 2:41 PM PT

A provincial court has stayed a drinking and driving charge against a Vernon, B.C., Mountie. Const. Jody Turpin was arrested in the early hours of Dec. 19 last year after two fellow detachment members found him sitting inside his parked car and suspected he was getting ready to drive while impaired. In court Thursday, Turpin pleaded guilty for refusing to provide a breath sample. The Crown stayed the original charge of impaired driving. He must now pay a $1,000 fine and is prohibited from driving for one year.

The officer, who was transferred to administrative duties after his arrest, still faces an internal RCMP Code of Conduct investigation.If found guilty, he faces a loss of pay or an outright dismissal from the force.