Alorton Mayor Arrested In O'Fallon, Charged With DUI

ALORTON, IL — Alorton Mayor JoAnn Reed was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after a traffic stop early Sunday morning in nearby O'Fallon, Illinois, according to the Belleville News-Democrat.

Police said Reed was arrested after illegally stopping her car in the intersection of Green Mount Road and Cambridge Boulevard around 2:35 a.m. She was released after posting $100 bond and surrendering her license.

Reed's attorney, Justin Kuehn, told the News-Democrat that his client would plead not guilty to the DUI charge.

In December 2016, Reed was charged with electioneering and vote-buying. A year later, she was charged with misconduct for allegedly retaliating against a police officer who testified against her in that case. She was also charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer for allegedly using police lights on her private vehicle.

Reed pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in connection to the police lights. The other charges were dropped for lack of evidence, according to St. Clair County prosecutors.

Reed was removed from office in 2013 after pleading guilty to smuggling a cellphone to a relative in jail, but she won reelection to a four-year term in April 2017.

Three of Reed's houses have been destroyed by arson. She blames her enemies for both the fires and the court battles, and has said she believes they are trying to run her out of town.