Neville pleads not guilty to DUI charges

<p>A lawyer for Sonoma County agricultural commissioner Cathy Neville entered not guilty pleas Thursday to misdemeanor drunken driving charges stemming from Neville's Sept. 10 arrest.</p><p>Neville, 53, did not appear in court, sending lawyer Richard Ingram to her arraignment before Judge Shelly Averill.</p><p>Ingram said Neville was pleading not guilty to the two counts and asked for time to review investigative reports. Averill set a settlement conference for Nov. 15.</p><p>A decision has not been made about whether Neville will take the matter to trial or change her plea, Ingram said.</p><p>“I just got the reports and I'm going to do some investigating,” Ingram said.</p><p>Neville was driving her 2006 Nissan Sentra on Highway 116 near Graton at about 9 p.m. when she was pulled over by CHP officers who said they noticed her swerving.</p><p>She was arrested after a field sobriety test. Officers said she resisted but the district attorney chose not to charge her with resisting arrest.</p><p>Her blood-alcohol level was 0.11 percent, just over the 0.08 legal limit for driving. She was charged with driving under the influence and having an unlawful blood-alcohol level, but it is expected that she could plead to one or the other if a settlement is reached.</p><p>She faces a $2,300 fine and likely two days in jail, which could be done on a work-release basis.</p><p>County officials have not disciplined nor even spoken to Neville about the incident, Supervisor Shirley Zane said Thursday. Zane said the arrest happened while Neville was off-duty and not acting in an official capacity so there are no grounds for even a reprimand.</p><p>“We can't discipline someone for making foolish decisions in their personal life,” said Zane.</p><p>County administrator Veronica Ferguson did not return calls seeking comment.</p><p>Neville had been under intense public scrutiny following her controversial decision to fire county animal control Director Amy Cooper in July, two days before Cooper's yearlong probationary status expired.</p><p>The Board of Supervisors voted Sept. 14 to move Animal Care and Control from the ag commissioner's office to the Department of Public Health. The move, which will take effect today<NO1>Friday<NO>, reduces Neville's $8.67 million budget and 63 employees by about half.</p>