By Patrick Yost
Editor

A candidate for the District One post, Morgan County Board of Commissioners, was arrested Saturday morning on DUI charges.

Ezekiel “Zeke” Lambert III, 41, Madison, was stopped by Morgan County Deputy Ben Eidson at approximately 3:14 a.m. in Bostwick after leaving a Bostwick video store, reports state. In his report, Eidson said he stopped Lambert for failure to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Georgia Highway 83 and Fairplay Road. Lambert qualified as a Democrat last week to seek the unexpired term of Morgan County Commissioner Walter Curtis Butler. Butler succumbed to pneumonia on August 1.

Lambert refused a breath test at the Morgan County Detention Center, reports state. Eidson also stated in his report that following the stop, he requested advice from supervisor Siebert Malcom, who informed him to transport Lambert to the detention center to make the test available. After Lambert refused the test, Seibert then advised Eidson to issue a citation for failure to stop at a stop sign and release Lambert.

Lambert said he did not refuse a test, but asked what options for testing were available. Before options were provided, he said, he was released on the failure to stop citation.

Lambert was released to a friend. However, after Morgan County Sheriff Robert Markley reviewed the incident report, he recommended that a warrant be issued for DUI. A warrant was served on Saturday, Lambert said. Markley said Lambert was released on a $2,500 property bond.

In the report Eidson said he had observed several people at the store for several hours. When Lambert left the store, Eidson reported, he allegedly failed to turn on his headlights prior to pulling onto Fairplay Road and was stopped after allegedly failing to stop at the intersection stop sign.

Eidson said he did not perform a roadside sobriety test, but was told by his supervisor to rely on the results of a breathalyzer test. Eidson said based on observation he determined that Lambert was impaired. He also reported that his in–car camera was not functioning at the time of the arrest.

Markley said he was informed of the arrest at approximately 3:30 a.m. At approximately 4 a.m., he said, he reviewed the evidence gathered by the officer and ordered a warrant issued. “We felt like there was enough probable cause to make the arrest and that’s what we did.”