Commissioner pleads guilty to DWI

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Cherokee County Precinct 2 Commissioner Steven Norton pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated, following his arrest in August 2022. According to our news partner KETK, Norton was sentenced to 365 days in jail probated for 12 months, a $2,500 fine which includes reimbursement for DPS and ambulance fees, 20 hours of community service, a DWI class and a breathalyzer ignition lock, Cherokee County Attorney Dana Young said. He was arrested on Aug. 12, 2022, and charged with driving while intoxicated and evading arrest after allegedly becoming aggressive with a DPS state trooper and refusing a blood alcohol test, documents said. The arrest happened after a Chick-Fil-A employee reported that they were concerned for a customer in the drive-thru and said they could smell alcohol on him. A deputy had also been advised that a driver in a white truck had run people off the roadway, and witnesses reportedly said the truck almost struck several vehicles. According to Cherokee County District Attorney Elmer Beckworth, after Norton pleaded guilty to the DWI, the DA’s office declined to prosecute the evading arrest charge.