VERO BEACH — County Administrator Joe Baird returned to work Thursday one day after his not guilty verdict on DUI charges and issued a brief statement thanking his supporters.
Baird spent most of the day in individual meetings with some of the County Commissioners and other county staff, but released the following statement at 4 p.m. “I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to the many friends and colleagues who extended their support to me and my family during this difficult time,” the statement read. “With this chapter now closed, I will continue to place my focus on serving the needs of the people of this county.”
Baird was pulled over by Lt. Matt Harrelson of the Vero Beach Police Department at 10:26 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 just west of 6th Avenue on Miracle Mile and was led through roadside sobriety tests in the Radio Shack parking lot by Officer Jeff Bryson.
After performing poorly on numerous different exercises, Baird was taken to the Vero Beach Police Station, where he refused a breathalyzer test. He was taken to the County Jail for the night and released on bail.
Baird will pay a speeding ticket he received that evening for driving 43 mph in a 30 mph zone.
The trial took two days following a full day of jury selection. Jurors took about 2 hours to decide that Baird was not guilty of the DUI charge.