Designated driver choice lands man behind bars

Published 10:20 am Tuesday, October 18, 2011

SP man arrested after letting 13-year-old son drive him home from bar

PERRY TOWNSHIP — A South Point man was arrested Saturday after allegedly allowing his underage son to drive him home after a trip to a local bar.

Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Chaffins was called to the Lawrence Village Apartments at 9:56 p.m. Saturday in regards to a man allegedly causing a disturbance. According to his report, Chaffins found Clifford P. Roberts, 35, who lists an address of 422 Solida Road, in the parking lot outside the apartment complex.

“I arrived to find Clifford Roberts so intoxicated he could barely stand,” Chaffins wrote in his report.

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Chaffins reportedly searched Roberts and found marijuana. As he was searching Roberts, another person at the complex approached Chaffins and told him Roberts had visited the nearby Whiskey River Saloon at the Grandview Inn, South Point, and had left his 13-year-old son in the car while he went inside and consumed alcohol.

The person said after Roberts had visited the bar, he allegedly allowed the child to drive him home because he was too drunk to drive himself.

Roberts then allegedly admitted to Chaffins what he had done.

Roberts was charged with endangering children and possession of drugs. He was arraigned Monday in Lawrence County Municipal Court. Judge Donald Capper set a $1,000 OR bond and appointed J.T. Holt to represent him and ordered Roberts to return to court Oct. 24 for a preliminary hearing.