Suffolk County Legislator-elect Catherine Stark was arrested on Sunday in Riverhead for allegedly driving while under the influence of drugs, according to the Riverhead Police Department.
The Republican - who defeated Democrat Catherine Kent in the November election - was reportedly pulled over at approximately 2:30 p.m. as she was entering her own driveway after an individual had made a 911 call regarding her driving.
According to court documents, Stark, 60, was acting disoriented and displayed droopy eyelids, drowsiness, slurred speech and extreme dry mouth; police say that she admitted during the encounter that “I took one to two Oxycodones. I have back pain.”
Steven Losquadro, an attorney representing Starks, released a statement where he purported that a previously-undisclosed cancer diagnosis was the root cause of the incident.
“Catherine Stark courageously has been battling cancer, a condition that she has chosen until now to keep private. This incident occurred when she unfortunately went to a store hours after taking her medication. There was no alcohol or illegal substances involved, and a test volunteered by Ms. Stark showed this," the statement said. "A blood test, also voluntarily given by Ms. Stark, will conclusively prove this. All medication taken by Ms. Stark to assist in her fight against this disease has been prescribed by her oncologist. She looks forward to a quick resolution of this incident, including relevant circumstances regarding her treatment, before the Court in a responsible and respectful manner.”
Stark was reportedly held overnight and released on her own recognizance after being arraigned Monday on a charge of driving while ability impaired by drugs. She is due back in court on January 24.