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Flint Councilman Sent To Jail For Impaired Driving

FLINT, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - A member of the Flint City Council whose car was found on the wrong side of a highway has been sent to jail for 28 days for impaired driving.

Eric Mays was convicted in November after representing himself. He's a well-known activist in Flint, especially during the city's water crisis.

Mays wanted to report to jail next week, but Judge Richard Ball ordered him to immediately start his sentence.

In 2013, Eric Mays was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, no proof of insurance and refusal to be fingerprinted. The charges all are misdemeanors.

Mays' attorney Frank Manley told the Flint Journal that his client plans to take responsibility for his actions, but "the way this case is being handled is far more political than judicial."

"We look forward to our day in court," Manley said in 2013.

Mays has resisted calls to step down following his Nov. 30 arrest on I-475 in Genesee Township. According to police, Mays had been traveling north in the freeway's southbound lanes on four flat tires. Mays was trying to change a flat when police found him around 2:50 a.m.

Mays claimed he was the victim of "trumped-up charges," but the judge said he found no "political conspiracy."

 

© TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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