Traverse City Record-Eagle

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April 6, 2012

Commissioner resigns after arrest

KALKASKA — A Kalkaska County commissioner arrested on suspicion of drunk driving still hasn't been charged with a crime, but he resigned from his county board seat.

A Michigan State Police trooper arrested Antonio Martini, 40, in Rapid City on March 27. Martini posted bond, but still hadn't been arraigned on a drunk driving charge Thursday. He resigned from the county board in a letter delivered to the county clerk's office March 30, county Clerk Deborah Hill said.

County Prosecutor Kirk Metzger requested a special prosecutor because Martini was a county official. Such requests go through the Michigan Attorney General's office.

Metzger said Thursday he hadn't yet heard back from the attorney general's office. Attorney General spokeswoman Joy Yearout said the office is in the process of assigning a special prosecutor.

Martini's letter was turned in by county board Chairman Stuart McKinnon, Hill said. The letter cited health issues as a reason for his resignation, Hill said.

Court documents show a trooper listed Martini's blood-alcohol content as high as 0.17 and as low as nearly 0.14, based on multiple tests. The trooper who arrested Martini put "super drunk" on his citation. It refers to a 2010 law that stiffens penalties for persons driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.17 or greater. The state's legal limit is 0.08.

The board could talk about Martini's vacant seat at its April 11 meeting, or could meet sooner to discuss it.

McKinnon and Martini didn't return calls for comment.

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