MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (WWJ) -- A Macomb County man facing drunk driving charges is in even more trouble after showing up to his hearing "super drunk" last week.
Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith says 57-year-old James Gird, of Harrison Township, appeared in Shelby Township District Court on Feb. 6 for a hearing stemming from an operating while intoxicated charge from Dec. 30, 2019.
When Gird showed up, Magistrate James A. Verploeg noticed the defendant exhibiting concerning behavior and requested testing be administered.
Police and prosecutors said Gird had difficulty carrying on a conversation without slurring his words and he failed standard field sobriety tests.
When Gird was taken to a hospital to be tested, it showed him to have a BAC of almost 4 times the legal limit, considered "super drunk."
Gird admitted to having a "couple" shots and a partly empty vodka bottle was discovered in his vehicle, according to the prosecutor's office.
"Of all the places in the world you want to show up sober, one's the police station or a court room -- especially a court room on a drunk driving case -- and he just shows up smashed," Smith told WWJ.
Smith said in a written statement that Gird "clearly has a real issue with alcohol" and it must be addressed before an innocent person is injured.
"We will hold those who drink and drive accountable, whether it is on our roads or even in a court parking lot," Smith's statement said.
Gird was arraigned Feb. 7 and received a $25,000 cash/surety bond. He is expected back in court for a pre-trial hearing on March 5.
