Scarborough Town Council Chairwoman Judith Roy apologized Friday for her behavior last weekend and said she is evaluating whether to remain on the council after being charged with drunken driving.

“I very much want to stay on the council, but personally, I still have to process it for myself,” Roy said.

“I’m certainly old enough and wise enough to not have put myself in this situation,” she said. “My apologies to everybody, the citizens number one, and family and friends, and my fellow councilors.”

Roy declined to discuss the incident itself, on the advice of her attorney.

Scarborough police were called to Roy’s home on Black Point Road on Sept. 17 by a motorist who reported an erratic driver.

Roy, 68, apparently was taken into custody at 10 p.m., after she pulled into her driveway. She was taken to the police station and issued a summons on a charge of driving under the influence.

She is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 2, said Scarborough Police Chief Robert Moulton.

Roy was involved in a minor accident in a parking lot elsewhere in town some time before she was charged, Moulton said, but it was not reportable because of the small amount of damage and was unrelated to the charge.

Moulton said Roy has not received any special treatment because of her position on the council.

Roy served on the council from 1990 to 1999, then was elected in 2007 and again last year, when she won another three-year term with 5,220 votes.

Roy said she did not attend Wednesday’s council meeting because she was sick as a result of the incident.

“I’m personally devastated,” she said. “I didn’t go to the council meeting because, truly, I’m sick physically and emotionally. I’ve lost 10 pounds.”

Roy said she has received calls and emails from residents offering support.

She said she is committed to several issues in town but wants to be sure the charge against her does not overshadow her work on the council.

“I want to make a decision that’s right for the town of Scarborough because I care about it that much,” she said. “Certainly, I may have lost some trust with some people. … I know I can get beyond this. Everybody makes mistakes.”

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@pressherald.com

 

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