Maryland State Delegate Jay Walker stepped down from a subcommittee in Annapolis Monday after being arrested on a drunk driving charge early Sunday morning.
Walker, who has served in the Maryland General Assembly since 2007, stepped down as the vice-chair of the legislature’s alcoholic beverages subcommittee. House Speaker Adrienne Jones said in a statement Monday that Walker, 48, “has temporarily stepped down” while the legal case is pending.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office said Walker was pulling out of a parking lot on Crain Highway in Waldorf, Maryland, when a sheriff’s patrol car had to “take evasive action” to avoid hitting Walker’s vehicle. Walker was arrested outside the Tinder Box cigar bar at about 1 a.m.
While Jones called initial reports about Walker’s arrest “concerning,” she also said “Delegate Walker is a valued member of the House and an important voice for Prince George’s County.”
Walker is being represented by fellow Maryland state Delegate C.T. Wilson, who is also a defense attorney.
Wilson told WTOP he believed Walker will be acquitted of all charges.
“The stop was erroneous and the accusations are also false,” said Wilson.
This isn’t the first time one lawmaker has come to the legal aid of another when one of them faced legal charges. Maryland State Delegate Kumar Barve, whose district is in Montgomery County, pleaded guilty to a charge of DUI in 2008. He was represented by then-Delegate Luiz Simmons.
“Jay Walker is a friend of mine,” Wilson said. “And when you have a friend in need, that’s when you come to them. You don’t walk away, you don’t hide and you don’t use political expediency as an excuse.”
