NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday September 18, 2007

Arizona Democrats call on Trish Groe to resign

Facing four years in prison if convicted of a felony drunk driving charge, Trish Groe should resign her seat in the Arizona Legislature immediately.

“Trish Groe has no place in a Legislature that just passed some of the strictest DUI penalties in the country,” said Emily Bittner, spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party. “We wish her the best in putting her life back together and getting the kind of counseling she needs. But her need for rehabilitation shouldn’t come at the expense of representing her constituents. At this point, Groe should do the right thing and step down.”

Last session, Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe, sponsored legislation to create a new class of “super extreme” DUI offenders and install mandatory ignition-interlock devices for first-time offenders.

Residents of La Paz County serving on a grand jury returned an indictment against Groe on a felony count of aggravated DUI and a count of false reporting to police on the night of her arrest. Her blood-alcohol level was measured between 0.158 and 0.148. (http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0918groe-indictment0918-ON.html)