CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- The DUI charges against Ridgeview High School Principal, John Westmoreland, have been dropped. Test results came back negative for alcohol.
Westmoreland was arrested in Clay County on Sept. 10, 2011. Westmoreland was pulled over by Deputy J.C. Saunders on Blanding Boulevard in Middleburg.
The deputy saw the defendant's Jeep swerve in and out of the lane. According to the original police report, Saunders thought Westmoreland showed signs of impairment.
Westmoreland completed two breathalyzer tests and both came back .000. The deputy had Westmoreland provide a urine sample because the breath tests were not consistent with his observations. The deputy also thought Westmoreland failed the field sobriety test. Westmoreland was booked on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence.
After the DUI arrest, Westmoreland spoke to his entire school about his intentions to fight the charge.
"I truly wish I was at liberty to go into all of the specific details of what happened, but at this time, I am not able to do so. All I can ask is that you trust me as you have in the past to believe I would never do anything to embarrass the proud name of Ridgeview High School, (its) students, its faculty and staff. I humbly apologize for any humiliation this has brought to any of you, but I absolutely promise you that in due time all of your questions will be answered. Until then, it is my hope that I can be a role model to you with regard to how to handle the most challenging situations," said Westmoreland on Sept. 12, 2011.
Cathy Paxton remembers vividly the day her son, a senior at Ridgeview, came home upset after hearing the charges.
“He came home and he was all fired up about the principal. He is supposed to set the example,” Paxton recalled.
The urine test results were released to the media Wednesday. No drugs were identified in Westmoreland's system. The Clay County State Attorney's Office website reflects a recent "nolle prosequi" entry which means there will be no prosecution in this case.
Ridgeview parents, like Paxton, are just happy to hear the news their principal is an innocent man.
"If he didn't do anything wrong, then he didn't do anything wrong," Paxton said.
Westmoreland’s attorney, Samuel P. Garrison, released this statement to Action News regarding the State Attorney Office’s decision to drop all charges:
"As he said from the beginning, John Westmoreland is completely innocent of these charges. This has been an incredibly stressful time for John and his family. He respectfully asks for his privacy."
According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, this case is considered closed.
