Pubdate: Thu, 16 Dec 1999
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 1999 Houston Chronicle
Contact:  Viewpoints Editor, P.O. Box 4260 Houston, Texas 77210-4260
Fax: (713) 220-3575
Website: http://www.chron.com/
Forum: http://www.chron.com/content/hcitalk/index.html
Page: 48A
Author: Jo Ann Zuiga

EX-ROCKET PETITIONS TO HAVE DWI ARREST TAKEN OFF RECORD

Former Houston Rockets forward Scottie Pippen filed a legal petition
Wednesday to remove from his record an arrest for driving while
intoxicated.

Pippen, now with the Portland Trail Blazers, asked that all local, state
and federal records of his April 22 arrest be obliterated.

Houston police stopped Pippen's Mercedes at 1:20 a.m. April 22 after he
allegedly passed other cars stopped for a red light at Prairie by driving
south in the northbound lanes of Main downtown.

Believing Pippen to be intoxicated, an officer called a member of the DWI
Task Force. Police say Pippen failed a field sobriety test and was
arrested. Authorities say he later was videotaped and refused to take a
Breathalyzer test.

Pippen, 33, was charged with misdemeanor DWI. He was released after posting
a $500 bail.

Patrons of the Jones Bar in the 400 block of Main said Pippen was there
after an April 21 game with teammates Charles Barkley and Matt Maloney. The
Rockets had lost to the Dallas Mavericks at Compaq Center.

The DWI charge was dropped May 14 by the Harris County District Attorney's
office because of insufficient evidence.

Prosecutors reviewed a videotape of the arrest and interviewed witnesses at
the Jones Bar. What they found convinced them there was not enough evidence
against Pippen. In addition, there was a conflict in the opinions of some
of the officers involved as to whether Pippen was intoxicated.
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