Man appears in Girard court on DUI charges

Staff report

GIRARD

A man was arraigned Tuesday in Girard Municipal Court after police say he crashed his car in Liberty while driving under the influence.

Michael Harris, 26, of Warren faces charges of driving under the influence, improper handling of a firearm and failure to control his vehicle. He pleaded not guilty to the DUI and failure to control charges, but entered no plea on the firearms charge as it is a felony.

Township police responded July 18 to Tibbetts-Wick Road, where an SUV had gone into a ditch.

Police say Harris, the driver, smelled of alcohol and had difficulty keeping his balance. Harris registered a blood-alcohol limit of 0.081, according to police. The legal intoxication limit in Ohio is 0.08.

Harris, who is free on a $7,500 personal recognizance bond, will next appear in court Aug. 16 for a preliminary hearing.

He could not be reached to comment and did not have an attorney listed through the court.