A deputy prosecutor with the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office resigned last month after an arrest for alleged drunken driving.
Prosecutor Gary Germann confirmed that Amanda Elworthy resigned immediately after her arrest. Because the court appointed a special prosecutor and Elworthy’s case is pending, Germann declined further comment.
Elworthy, 36, of Chesterton, was hired as of Jan. 2 and her effective resignation date was April 12, according to Rhonda Young, the county’s human resources director.
A Chesterton Police officer pulled Elworthy over at 12:32 a.m. on April 13 near the intersection of Indiana 49 and Porter Avenue because she was speeding, according to charging documents. Police believed she was intoxicated because of the odor of alcoholic beverages and her eyes were glossy.
Elworthy had mood swings, according to the charges, and “frequently switched from being frustrated and crying to being quiet and calm.”
Her blood alcohol content, according to a portable breath test administered at the Chesterton Police Department, was .204%, more than twice Indiana’s legal limit of .08%.
Elworthy, who, according to online court records, posted an $800 bond, was charged with a Class A misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated/operating a vehicle in a manner that endangers a person; a Class A misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated with a blood alcohol content of at least .15%; and a Class C misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated.
The case has been assigned to Porter Superior Court Judge Christopher Buckley. Elworthy was scheduled for a hearing Wednesday morning on a request to receive specialized driving privileges.
alavalley@chicagotribune.com
