Lexington Herald-Leader: Gillispie pleads not guilty to DUI; released from jail

[AsburySkinsFan]

August 27, 2009

Gillispie pleads not guilty to DUI; released from jail

Former University of Kentucky men's basketball coach Billy Gillispie pleaded not guilty Thursday morning to a charge of driving under the influence.

Gillispie was arrested by Lawrenceburg police at about 2:45 a.m. Thursday. Another man, Charles F. O'Connor, was arrested with Gillispie and charged with alcohol intoxication. The men were booked into the Franklin County jail at about 5:20 a.m., jail officials said.

Hours later, Gillispie, 49, was arraigned via video from the jail, according to the Anderson County Circuit Clerk's office. O'Connor, 42, has not been arraigned, according to the clerk's office.

Gillispie and O'Connor were released at about 9:20 a.m., according to jail officials. They were picked up by Louisville attorney Darran Winslow.

According to arrest records, Lawrenceburg police received a complaint about a possible intoxicated driver traveling northbound on the bypass from the Shell Station near the Bluegrass Parkway. The vehicle, a white 2009 Mercedes-Benz 300, had Texas plates.

Officer M. Corley said in his report that he saw the vehicle swerving and stopped the driver. Another officer, C. Powell, later assisted Corley.

The officers smelled a strong odor of alcohol as they spoke with Gillispie, who was driving, the police report says. His eyes were red and glassy and his speech was slurred, the citation states.

Police asked Gillispie for his proof of insurance and he said it was in his golf bag in the truck, according to the court document.

"During the exit he used the door for balance and was confused on how to open the trunk," the citation says.

The report says Gillispie's insurance information was not in the bag, so he went to the passenger side of the car.

"He was confused about how to unlock the vehicle and took several tries to unlock the glove box," the citation says.

He was still unable to find the insurance, according to the officer's report.

Police said Gillispie refused breath and blood tests.

According to arrest records, O'Connor also smelled of alcohol and was "heavily intoxicated, very unsteady on his feet and had slowed slurred speech."

O'Conner told police he'd had a few glasses of wine, the arrest citation states.

Gillispie is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 5. A court date has not been scheduled for O'Connor.

Gillispie left the coaching job in March 2009 after two seasons when UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart said, "We obviously did not achieve the results we all desired on the floor this season,"; Barnhart said of UK's 22-14 record. "Those results can occur when you are trying to grow a program. We clearly understand that.

"However, it is as important to represent the Kentucky program and the basketball program, more specifically, in a manner which best utilizes our incredible tradition, assets and platform. ... It is my evaluation that we have not done all we can to manage the entire scope of the program and all that we expect."

Gillispie sued the UK Athletics Association in federal court, alleging breach of contract over his dismissal. He alleged that UK's athletics department owes him $6 million for firing him two years into a seven-year agreement. The university, which filed a countersuit in Kentucky, has argued it does not owe the Texas native because he never signed a formal contract.

So far there has been no developments on settling the contract dispute. Demetrios Anaipakos, Gillispie's Houston-based attorney handling the coach's lawsuit against the university, was still in Houston Thursday.

"Right now I can't comment on any settlement issues," he said when reached by phone.

Thursday wasn't Gillispie's first alcohol-related arrest.

Gillispie was arrested in 1999 on charges of driving while intoxicated and improper use of a lane in Tulsa, Okla. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and other charges were dismissed.

In 2003, he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving while in his first year at the University of Texas-El Paso, but the charges were dismissed after a prosecutor decided there was not enough evidence to suggest Gillispie was drunk.

Gillispie was living in Jessamine County while he was coaching, but the house sold late this summer for $1.2 million.

It says he refused a breath test and a blood test....I'm really confused on that.

[#98QBKiller]

You can refuse breath and blood tests but it doesn't look good when you do. He'll more than likely end up being charged for it.

[AsburySkinsFan]

You can refuse breath and blood tests but it doesn't look good when you do. He'll more than likely end up being charged for it.

I guess I'm used to Maine law where if you refuse the breath then the blood is mandatory, seems silly that someone could refuse even with probable cause. I imagine they have this all on video anyways, even our local townies have cameras now-a-days.

[#98QBKiller]

Yeah I'm pretty sure they have it all on tape and if he looks as intoxicated as the report says then I don't see how they can't charge him for it.