A Villager who was naked from the waist down when she was arrested on a drunk driving charge will rely on the public defender’s office for representation.
Janice Jackson Tate, 68, was driving a white 2006 Toyota Solara at about 6:30 p.m. Aug. 19 when she ran into the curb near the Manatee Recreation Center.
An arraignment in Sumter County Court is set for Oct. 11 in Sumter County Court. A document filed in court indicates she is seeking the representation of the public defender’s office and that she has no income.
On the day of her arrest, Tate’s vehicle had damage to the front-end bumper, undercarriage and driver’s side tire, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriffs’s Office. A deputy ran the license plate and found that the vehicle was registered to Tate’s husband.
She was found inside the recreation enter, “staggering and unable to maintain balance and wearing no clothing from the waist down,” according to the arrest report. The Memphis native, who lives nearby at 1721 Merry Road, said she was heading home when another vehicle drove toward her. She claimed she swerved to avoid a collision.
The Villages Public Safety Department was called to the scene and checked her vital signs. They were within normal parameters. EMS personnel provided Tate with a sheet, since she was unclothed from the waist down.
During field sobriety exercises, Tate raised her leg in a martial arts stance, which was not in accordance with the instructions she had been given. She provided breath samples that registered .275 and .280 blood alcohol content.
