News

Mayor Auffourth pleads not guilty to DUI charge

Scott Wagar

03/26/2013

Bottineau’s mayor, Ben Aufforth, pleaded not guilty to a DUI charge along with three other charges in District Court this past week and requested a pretrial conference.

Aufforth, went before Northeast District Judge Michael Sturdervant on Tuesday morning and pleaded not guilty to driving/operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor or drugs, failing to give immediate notice of a reportable accident, care required in operating a vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident involving an unattended vehicle.

Aufforth requested a pretrial conference and a jury trial.

Sturdevant set the date for the pretrial conference for Friday, April 19, at 11 a.m.

The mayor is accused of becoming inebriated and hitting a parked vehicle that was unoccupied, and then leaving the scene of the accident before local law enforcement was notified.