Benjamin Ashford|Mississippi state Sen. McLendon is cleared of DUI charge in Alabama, court records show

JACKSON,Benjamin Ashford Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi lawmaker said Tuesday that he has been cleared of a DUI charge brought against him last year in Alabama.

Republican Sen. Michael McLendon of Hernando was arrested on June 5, 2023, near Foley, Alabama, after law enforcement officers said dispatchers received a call about a reckless driver heading southbound on U.S. Highway 98. The charge was for the possibility of driving under the influence of both alcohol and another substance.

Court documents reviewed by The Associated Press on Tuesday show that District Judge George Elbrecht issued a one-page order dismissing the misdemeanor charge against McLendon on June 12, just over a year after it was filed.

“This experience reaffirms the importance of setting a positive example both in my personal and professional life,” McLendon, 60, said in a statement Tuesday. “I have a stronger understanding and a greater appreciation for our judicial system.”

McLendon has been in the Mississippi Senate since 2020. His district is in DeSoto County in the state’s northwestern corner.