Drunkenness charge dropped against Lexington County Councilman Phil Yarborough

A public drunkenness charge against Lexington County Councilman Phil Yarborough has been dismissed.

No explanation for the decision is given in Columbia municipal court records reviewed Friday.

The charge was dropped after “we worked out an agreement,” said Jake Moore, Yarborough’s lawyer.

There is no mention in a police report of any test given Yarborough to measure possible intoxication, giving Moore grounds to challenge a police officer’s impression.

The outcome led to Yarborough paying a small fine for jaywalking after crossing the street improperly, Moore said.

“He pled guilty to what he was guilty of,” Moore said.

Yarborough, 33, said he is relieved the matter is settled.

“No entity or person is perfect,” he said. “Nobody wants to go through stuff like that.”

The lesson learned is “I live in a glass house,” he said.

Yarborough was arrested in Five Points in the predawn hours of Oct. 17, according to the report.

His arrest came shortly before he was elected as the council member representing the St. Andrews-Irmo area.

Yarborough, a Republican, ran unopposed and took office Jan. 6 after the drunkenness charge was withdrawn.

“Everybody is happy and going down the road,” Moore said.

Yarborough, a home builder, was stopped by police after an SUV braked hard to avoid striking him as he walked into the intersection of Harden and Greene streets about 3 a.m., the report said.

He was “observed to be grossly intoxicated,” the report said, smelling of alcoholic beverages with slurred speech and unsteady on his feet.

Yarborough “started to become hostile” after being taken to Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, initially refusing to enter a cell and then placing a foot to stop its door from closing until jail staff removed it, the report said.

This story was originally published February 27, 2015 at 2:22 PM with the headline "Drunkenness charge dropped against Lexington County Councilman Phil Yarborough."