This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Helper's former mayor has been formally charged with driving under the influence, marking the third time he's faced a related charge since 1991.
Dean Armstrong was charged in Helper City Justice Court on March 5 with a DUI and being an alcohol-restricted driver, both class B misdemeanors.
Armstrong, 51, resigned as mayor in late February following the latest arrest. He was elected to a four-year term in 2010.
The council had already given Armstrong a second chance following his 2011 arrest for driving under the influence. Armstrong was arrested again in February 2013 after a minor accident on Main Street in Helper, in which no one was injured. A field Breathalyzer test indicated Armstrong's blood alcohol level was 0.169, Utah Highway Patrol troopers said. Under Utah law, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08.
Armstrong's first DUI arrest in office was in November 2011, also by the UHP, court records show.
In May 2012, Armstrong pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charges of impaired driving, open container/drinking alcohol in a vehicle, and failing to stop or yield to a traffic sign, court records show. A judge suspended any jail time and placed Anderson on one year probation. The terms of probation included a fine. Armstrong also was ordered to wear an ankle monitor for 60 days. The monitor was removed in September, jail records show.
Helper's council met following the 2011 arrest but took no action against Armstrong.
Court records also indicate that Armstrong pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence in June 1991 in Salt Lake City. He received a suspended jail sentence and was ordered to perform community service, pay a fine and attend alcohol counseling, the records show. An additional charge of negligent collision was dropped.
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