Whiteville City Councilwoman Helen Holden has been charged with driving while impaired four times since 2007, convicted twice, and exonerated once, according to court records.
Holden, 49, was arrested Saturday night just before midnight after allegedly running a red light in Whiteville. Police stopped her for the traffic violation, according to a statement from WPD, and took her into custody for driving while impaired after she refused a Breathalyzer or blood test. She was released on $1,500 unsecured bond, according to Detention Center records. Her address was listed as 400 N. Madison St. Whiteville. That case is pending trial.
Saturday’s arrest was her fourth DWI charge since 2007.
Court records show she was also arrested for DWI in New Hanover County in 2007; Wake in 2012, and Brunswick in 2020. She was found not guilty in the Brunswick County case.
Records show Holden blew a .19 in the 2007 arrest. Wilmington Police charged her with DWI and reckless driving to endanger on Sept. 12 of that year. She received a 30-day civil suspension of her driving privileges, and the reckless driving charge was dismissed for “special considerations,” according to the court record.
The Highway Patrol stopped Holden in Wake County on July 15, 2012 for reckless driving and driving while impaired. She was also charged with having an open container of alcohol in her vehicle.
Holden pleaded guilty to Level IV DWI and reckless driving, and was sentenced to pay a fine, undergo substance abuse assessment, and be subject to limited driving privileges. She was also sentenced to perform 48 hours of community service. She completed the requirements set by the court in 2013. The open container violation was dismissed.
Court records show a Nov. 26, 2020 DWI charge by the Highway Patrol in Brunswick County was dismissed. Holden also refused a Breathalyzer test in that arrest.
The N.C. Driver’s Handbook said that uses a tier system for charging DWI cases, based primarily on blood alcohol content (BAC). The BAC limit in North Carolina is .08.
Level V, the least serious, usually involves a sentence of fines, community service, and temporary suspension of driving privileges. It is usually applied to first time offenders.
Level IV is generally charged to first time offender with a BAC of .15, or repeat offenders below .15.
Level III means a first offender had a BAC of .15 or more, and repeat offenders of .08 to .15.
Level II only applies to offenders with a content of .15 or more, generally repeat offenders.
Level I is charged to offenders with three or more DWIs in the past ten years, and suspects who cause injury or death while driving impaired.
Sentences for DWIs range from a year’s loss of driving privileges to permanent revocation, at the discretion of the court. In some circumstances, the defendant’s vehicle can be seized and sold at auction.
Holden is running for reelection to the Whiteville City Council in the November election. She and fellow incumbent Vicki Pait are vying with Linda Bright Smith for the two available seats on the board.
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