Sheri L. Duchak, 52, the wife of Sheriff Dave Duchak, pleaded not guilty earlier this month to charges of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and operating a vehicle with blood-alcohol content greater than .236 that were filed in Miami County Municipal Court following her Aug. 8 arrest in Piqua.
Marc Ross from the Springfield Prosecutor’s Office was appointed Wednesday to prosecute the case.
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Ross was appointed by retired Kettering Municipal Court Judge Thomas Hanna, who was assigned to hear the case by the Supreme Court of Ohio.
According to a Piqua Police Department report, police at Pisenbarger Park saw a woman, later identified as Sheri Duchak, drive across the center line of South Street and strike a curb, then drive across a sidewalk, through the grass and over the parking lot curb. Her vehicle also hit a grass island barrier with a concrete curb before pulling up to a cruiser parked in the parking lot. The officer reported Duchak appeared confused with bloodshot and glassy eyes.
During the incident, Duchak told the officer that her husband is the Miami County sheriff and repeatedly told the officer to call “Bruce,” referring to Piqua Police Chief Bruce Jamison, and said they would lose their jobs, the report stated.
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In an audio recording of the conversation, obtained by this news organization through a records request, Duchak told officers, “the two of you are in peril.”
On Aug. 23, Piqua police reported they received the results of Duchak’s urine test, which showed her blood-alcohol content was .360. This is more than four times Ohio’s legal driving limit of .08.
Jamison and Sheriff Dave Duchak both praised the department’s professionalism in handling Sheri Duchak’s arrest.
Attorney Jack Hemm is representing Duchak. According to court records, a pretrial conference is scheduled for Oct. 3.
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