Sonoma County agricultural commissioner arrested on DUI, resisting arrest

<p>Sonoma County's embattled agricultural commissioner was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and resisting arrest after she fled from an officer during a sobriety test and had to be tackled to the ground, the CHP said Saturday.</p><p>The CHP said Cathy Neville, 53, was driving on Highway 116 near Frei Road outside Graton about 9 p.m. Friday when an officer spotted her Nissan Sentra weaving and drifting off the side of the road.</p><p>The officer stopped the car and was giving Neville a sobriety test when she started running in the direction of several small businesses, said David Derczo, an acting CHP sergeant.</p><p>Derczo said Neville did not make it very far before she was wrestled to the ground and put into handcuffs.</p><p>While being booked at the Sonoma County Jail Neville identified herself as the county's ag commissioner in response to a question regarding her place of employment, CHP Sgt. Mike Brown said.</p><p>Derczo said Neville, who showed obvious signs of intoxication, declined a breath test after her arrest but submitted to a blood test. The results may not be known for several days.</p><p>An animal control officer was dispatched to the scene after it was discovered that she had dogs in the car with her.</p><p>Neville posted bond on $5,000 bail and was released. She did not return phone calls Saturday seeking comment.</p><p>Neville, who earns $132,000 annually as the county's ag commissioner, has come under criticism in recent months for her decision on July 12 to fire the former director of the county's Animal Care and Control Division, Amy Cooper, two days before her yearlong probationary status was to expire.</p><p>Neville's arrest comes at a particularly sensitive time for the ag commissioner. County officials are seeking this week to move the animal care division to the Department of Public Health, a move that was sparked by Cooper's abrupt dismissal.</p><p>County Administrator Veronica Ferguson called the incident a "private matter," but also said her office would investigate it further.</p><p>Ferguson said Saturday that while the county prohibits employees from drinking on the job or while reporting to work, Neville “was off duty, so the policy does not apply.</p><p>She said she “hopes Cathy gets the help she needs” and that the county has programs that provide such services.</p><p>Supervisor Valerie Brown, the board's chairwoman, acknowledged Saturday that Sonoma County has a strong stance against drinking and driving.</p><p>But Brown said it would be “presumptuous” of her to judge Neville's ability to do her job based on something that occurred after work hours.</p><p>“All of us attend events. We go to friend's houses. We attend parties. We do a lot of things not associated with our work that may put us in jeopardy that's not necessarily work-related,” Brown said Saturday.</p><p>Brown added that she's “definitely sorry that it happened. I'm sorry if it would happen to anyone, but it does.”</p><p>Neville's decision to fire Cooper caused an uproar among animal care employees, nearly all of whom signed petitions given to county supervisors seeking Cooper's re-instatement. Officials at other animal welfare agencies also expresed support for Cooper.</p><p>Ferguson last Thursday reiterated her backing for Neville, even as she announced that she wants to move animal care to public health on Oct. 1.</p><p>Ferguson said the move, while sparked by Cooper's dismissal, was not to be taken as a sign that she had lost faith in Neville's ability to lead the ag commissioner's office.</p><p>Moving animal care to public health, if approved by county supervisors at their Tuesday meeting, would effectively strip Neville of half of her agency's $8.67 million budget and roughly half of the department's 63 employees.</p><p>Brown said she did not think that Neville's arrest would have any bearing on those deliberations. </p><p>Cooper said she was given no reason for her dismissal in a meeting with Neville that Cooper said lasted only minutes.</p><p>Jeremy Fietz, a Santa Rosa attorney that Cooper hired to represent her following her firing, said Neville's arrest Friday raises questions about her judgment.</p><p>"I'll let whatever facts about last night speak for themselves, but I will say that someone who was the number one choice, which was Amy, for taking over the role of director of animal care in a very difficult environment, and by all reliable evaluations was doing an exemplary job and then is fired for ostensibly no good reason, that certainly points to irrationality," Fietz said.</p><p>Fietz said he has had several discussions with county officials regarding Cooper's possible return as director of animal care.</p><p>That scenario seems more likely should supervisors sign off on moving the division to public health.</p><p>"The circumstances under which that would happen are essentially up for discussion at this point," Fietz said.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or Derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com.</p>