Drunk driving trial against state trooper begins.

Sammy Seymour, far left, sits with his legal team.

Sammy Seymour watches testimony.

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief.

LUDINGTON — The 79th District Court trial of the City of Ludington vs. Sammy Seymour began this morning. Seymour, a Michigan State Police trooper, was arrested on Jan. 17, 2015, by Ludington Police Dept. and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

A six person jury, consisting of three men and three women, was seated for the trial, which is expected to last a day, according to Mason County Assistant Prosecutor John D. Middlebrook. Several weeks ago, Judge Pete Wadel ruled that the jury is not allowed to consider Seymour’s occupation as a police officer when considering the case.

LPD Sgt. Steve Wietrzkowski testifies.

Seymour was pulled over about 2 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2015 by Ludington Police Sgt. Stephen Wietrzkowski on Delia Street south of Loomis Street. Wietrzkowski testified that he observed the vehicle a few blocks away, parked “cockeyed” near the corner of Loomis and Harrison streets.

Wietrzkowski said when he pulled over the vehicle he recognized Seymour and smelled alcohol. Seymour had two passengers in the vehicle, including Seymour’s sister, Kimberly Septrion, who was eventually arrested for assaulting and obstructing a police officer. Wietrzkowski asked Seymour to exit the vehicle and asked him to take a field sobriety test. He said he found a can of beer, Busch Light, in the vehicle that contained “about enough beer to fill a Dixie cup.” He also said that Seymour appeared “glassy eyed.”

Seymour refused to take a breath test, therefore he was arrested requested to take a chemical blood test. Wietrzkowski testified that Seymour did fairly well with the field sobriety tests.

Defense attorney Mike Nichols stated to the jury that the prosecution must prove that Seymour was operating the vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .08 grams of alcohol for 210 liters of breath.

The defense is not denying that Seymour was operating the vehicle, which is one of the points that the city must prove.

Seymour, who lives in Mason County, is a state police trooper assigned to the MSP Cadillac post.