NASHVILLE — A judge on Tuesday threw out a drunken driving case against freshman state Rep. Bill Beck on the basis that the police officer did not have reasonable suspicion to pull him over.
Beck was arrested in April after the arresting officer said he spotted the Nashville Democrat’s pickup truck traveling with two wheels in the turn lane. After the stop, the officer said Beck had bloodshot eyes, a disheveled appearance and slurred speech.
Beck, who told the officer he had not been drinking, declined to take a sobriety test or give a breath alcohol sample.
Judge Phillip Maxey, who was brought in to preside over the case from neighboring Cheatham County, said dashboard video from the officer’s patrol car did not show that Beck was veering, and that a “momentary observation” of the vehicle crossing the line did not rise to the level of reasonable suspicion for making the stop.
“He was driving down the street and he was not completely in his lane,” Maxey said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done that sober. I’ve hit the rumble strip so many times in the last week it’s uncountable.”