WALLACE — William Jeffrey Carter, a Wallace councilman who has served with the town for more than a decade is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 8 and Oct. 6 for two charges of driving while impaired.
The 70-year-old councilman was first arrested by the Wallace Police Department on June 20 at approximately 8:25 p.m. at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. He was driving a white ford truck.
According to official court documents, Carter’s blood alcohol level was 0.13, which is above North Carolina’s legal limit of 0.08. His driving privileges were revoked for 30 days and he was released on a $1,000 unsecured bond.
On July 23, just two days after the revocation of his driving privileges expired, Carter was again arrested by the WPD, and charged with a second DWI, an open container misdemeanor, and his driving privileges were revoked for another 30 days. Carter was arrested on I-40 eastbound near mile marker 386 in Wallace at 5:56 p.m. and placed under a $1,000 unsecured bond.
According to official court documents, Carter’s blood alcohol level was 0.17.
Carter’s term as Wallace councilman expires in December 2023. The Duplin Times reached out to Wallace Mayor Jason Wells for comment about Councilman Carter.
Mayor Wells issued the following statement:
“The Town Council and Town Manager are aware that Councilman Carter was arrested for a DWI. While he is a public elected figure, we also want to protect his privacy as he works through any personal or legal actions. There are no state statutes or town ordinances that would automatically remove an elected official under such circumstances. Generally, an elected official would only need to be removed if they were no longer eligible to vote in that jurisdiction. For example, if an elected official moved out of their jurisdiction, or were convicted of a felony. Neither is the case in this instance and there has been no formal discussion by council on the matter. We are praying for Councilman Carter and here to support him in getting any help he may need.”
