‘I don’t think I could get a fair trial.’ Connie Moran enters plea in public drunk case
Former Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran on Wednesday pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of public drunk.
By pleading no contest, Moran is not admitting guilt but agrees there is enough evidence to convict of the offense.
“I pleaded no contest in order not to try this case in (Ocean Springs) city court,” Moran said. “I don’t think I could get a fair trial and I can appeal to the County Court and see what happens.”
Moran entered the plea in Municipal Court.
Ocean Springs police arrested Moran the evening of Jan. 13 after police officer Howard Rhodes spotted a woman, later identified as the 63-year-old Moran, lying on her back in the southbound lane of Washington Avenue.
When Rhodes got out to check on Moran, his report said, he said she appeared to be “highly intoxicated.”
Moran, the officer said, smelled of alcohol, her speech was slurred and she was “unable to stand.”
Moran did not have her shoes on, the officer said, and appeared disoriented when he woke her up while she was still face-up in the street with a smile on her face.
Moran said she was in her driveway and had slipped and fell and hit her head and was disoriented as a result of the fall.
“I had a CAT scan but I’m still gong to have an MRI because I’m still having issues with dizziness,” she said Wednesday. “My doctor today said I needed to get checked out ... It could be a hundred things.”
She is still claiming innocence despite her no contest plea.
She said she should not have been charged because the only witnesses were police officers and emergency medical technicians instead of regular citizens.
Public drunk carries a fine of $263.
Moran said she should have never been taken into custody.
“I was in my driveway,” she said. “They could have just helped me back into my home.”
On the night of the arrest, Officer Rhodes said in his report, that Moran attempted to stand at one point but fell.
A second officer at the scene said Moran tried to get back up, but “fell once more.”
Acadian Ambulance also responded, but Moran refused medical treatment, was handcuffed and taken to the Ocean Springs Police Department for booking.
While she was being booked, the report said, Moran was “very irate and uncooperative” and the arresting officer couldn’t complete the booking process.
She was taken to the Jackson County jail and held overnight.
At the time of her arrest, Moran was also mourning the recent death of her mother.
Moran served three terms as Ocean Springs mayor, but lost her bid for fourth term to Mayor Shea Dobson. She most recently ran for the Mississippi Public Service Commission, but former Pascagoula Mayor Dane Maxwell won the seat.
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 6:40 PM.
