Ironton Mayor Bob Cleary said Friday that an Ironton police officer accused of DUI and other infractions following an incident last week has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

Beth Rist is scheduled to be arraigned in Ironton Municipal Court Monday on charges of driving while intoxicated, driving without headlights after dark and driving left of center. The alleged incident happened April 10; the charges were filed late last week.

Cleary stressed that this leave is "not a discharge or a suspension," and that the leave is contingent upon how quickly the case is resolved.

"Because of the allegations made, this needs to be resolved before she is put back on the job," Cleary said.

The Ironton Tribune contacted Rist's attorney, Mark McCown, for his comment on the matter, but he was not immediately available.

Under Ohio law, a DUI conviction would not necessarily end Rist's career as a law enforcement officer, since the charge is classified as a misdemeanor.

"The only crimes that would exclude would be felonies and crimes of moral turpitude," said Jerry Leach, an Ironton police department captain who is also an instructor for the Ohio Peace Officer's Training Academy. "She would not be immediately disqualified based on a misdemeanor."