Trey Anastasio pleaded not guilty to DUI and drugs charges at his arraignment on Wednesday, January 3. Anastasio was stopped by police after his car was seen swerving on a rural road in Whitehall, NY, on December 15, 2006. Upon searching his car, officers reportedly found painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs that had not been prescribed to Anastasio.
Although his arraignment was not scheduled until January 10, Anastasio arrived in court unannounced to enter his plea and has been released on his own recognizance until his next scheduled court date on February 14.
The initial charges filed against Anastasio are misdemeanor charges, but according to Washington County District Attorney Kevin Kortright, they may become felony drug possession charges due to the amount Anastasio had in his possession at the time of the arrest. There is also the matter of what the other substance found in the car was, something that police had not determined at the time of Anastasio's arrest. News sources, specifically the local Post-Star newspaper and its partner WNYT-TV NewsChannel 13, have reported that the substance was heroin. Prosecutors are still waiting results from a urine test that will determine what level of intoxication, if any, Anastasio was at.
The Post-Star has also reported that Kortright's "office will likely seek to get Anastasio to take part in a court-approved drug rehabilitation program that would spare him a jail sentence."
Anastasio declined to comment at this time, though following his arrest last month, Anastasio issued a written statement saying he felt “terrible about what happened, and I am deeply sorry for any embarrassment I have caused my friends, family and fans.”
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