Still in the race

— John Cody dismissed his two recent arrests as “minor offenses.”

“It’s all gonna calm down. It always has,” Cody said Monday, while declining to talk about his bid for the Justice of the Peace seat in District 7 saying he had answered questions from reporters for the daily newspapers.

He said he is still running for the JP seat and does not intend to resign from his City Council position.

Since 1994, Cody has been arrested and charged with severaloffenses by Rogers, Bentonville and Pea Ridge police. He has appeared in court in all three municipalities, as well at Benton County Circuit Court. One felony arrest was pled to a misdemeanor. Other charges were either pled down, dismissed or he was found not guilty.

“It’s an election year,” Cody continued, saying that in Pea Ridge the offices for two council members, the mayor and the city recorder are up for re-election.

“Things could change, but it will take people to get out and vote,” he said.

Accusing the police of setting him up, Cody said that when he was arrested Tuesday in front of City Hall prior to the Council meeting, he offered to go inside and resign if the police would not arrest him.

“He said he wouldn’t treat me any differently than he would anyone else,” Cody said of Police Chief Tim Ledbetter.

Cody said he drove to a political rally Tuesday prior to driving to City Hall for the council meeting.

“I talked to the sheriff, I even complimented him on his jail since I’d been in there recently,” Cody said.

As to his employment, Cody said: “I’ve got a job lined up that may even be a little higher up.”.

“As for the council position, I bet I’m not the firstpolitician to have messed up and gotten their name in the paper,” he said. “It’s not that big a deal - two driving offenses. It was a set-up.”

Cody was represented by Meister & McCracken Law firm. Joanne Mc-Cracken is the Garfield city attorney. He said because of the conflict ofinterest, he is no longer represented by them and he does not have an attorney as of Tuesday.

Previously, Cody’s attorney entered a not-guilty plea to the court for the charge of DWI. Cody said he is scheduled for an appearance for May 11 and court on May 25 in Pea Ridge.

News, Pages 1 on 04/28/2010