Rob Ford Reveals Details Of Arrest In Fla. 11 Yrs. Ago
Posted August 19, 2010 6:31 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Rob Ford insisted he’s not perfect when he addressed charges laid against him in the United States more than a decade ago.
The mayoral candidate held a press conference in front of his family’s business, Deco Labels, Thursday morning following a story published the same day in the Toronto Sun in which Ford admitted he’d been charged for possession of marijuana while on vacation with his fiancé-now wife in Florida in Feb. 1999.
That charge was dropped but Ford admitted Thursday that he did plead guilty to a charge of failing to provide a breath test after he was pulled over by police for driving without his lights on.
According to a Miami-Dade Police report, Ford threw his hands up in the air and said “Go ahead, take me to jail,” when the officer asked for his insurance and registration. The officer noted on the report he smelled alcohol on Ford’s breath. (see report below)
Ford admitted he’d had a couple of drinks before getting behind the wheel on Valentine’s Day more than a decade ago, and said he shouldn’t have been driving.
He was handed 50 hours of community service, which he fulfilled coaching football. He was also given a $500 fine.
Ford also revealed he’d been charged with assault when he was 18-years-old following a hockey fight and he mentioned charges of domestic assault and uttering a death threat in relation to an incident with his wife two years ago. Those charges were later withdrawn.
According to his knowledge, he doesn’t have a criminal record, Ford said.
The story of his arrest in Florida was published in the Toronto Sun Thursday. In it, Ford admits he was caught with a single joint in his back pocket when officers pulled him over. The mayoral hopeful couldn’t recall specific details about the incident and said he was caught off guard when questioned about it Wednesday evening.
And as Ford attempts to set the record straight on his run-ins with the law, he also continues to stand by comments he made about immigration during a mayoral debate earlier this month.
Ford suggested Toronto shouldn’t accept any more immigrants as the city is currently unable to help people in need already living here. He noted there are some 60,000 people already on the waiting list for affordable housing and said an influx of a million people would be a problem.
