A Cartersville Council member charged with driving under the influence three years ago is found not guilty. A Cartersville police officer stopped Richard Taff Wren on November 6, 2017, on Old Mill Road and charged him with tag light violation, failing to stop at a stop sign and driving under the influence. The non-jury trial included dashcam video, bodycam video, and testimony from the arresting officer. The officer said the tag light violation prompted him to follow the car from West Avenue to Old Mill Road. He later noticed the suspect had glassy, red eyes and a strong odor of alcohol. The stop occurred at 3 a.m. Defense attorney Lance McCoy asked if his client’s eyes may have been red due to time of the arrest and whether he was wearing contacts. Wren told the officer he was a Cartersville council member; he had 3 beers at a friend’s house. The officer couldn’t establish when the beers were consumed. The officer admitted that Wren never drove erratically or slurred his speech. He said Wren had a calm demeanor and didn’t appear disheveled. Wren refused to take a field sobriety test and a breath test. The state attempted and failed to introduce a 2010 conviction from Cobb County on similar charges. Judge Richard Sutton of Tallapoosa heard the case; he found Wren guilty of tag light violation and not guilty of the other charges. He must pay a $100 fine for the tag light violation.