District Attorney Mike Gray made the announcement Wednesday that David Carlson, who had been with the office for about 2 1/2 years, is no longer employed there. Carlson had been on indefinite leave without pay since his initial arrest in February.
“Due to the circumstances of Mr. Carlson’s two recent convictions for prescription drug DUIs, the decision was made that he could no longer be an effective prosecutor in the Fairbanks District Attorney’s Office,” Gray stated in an e-mail.
Carlson, 43, pleaded guilty last month to driving under the influence, reckless driving and two counts of fourth-degree assault in connection with two February incidents. All of the charges are misdemeanors.
He served eight days in jail and was placed on probation for three years.
Carlson was first arrested on Feb. 15 after getting his Dodge pickup truck stuck in a ditch on McGrath Road while trying to drive around a parked Alaska State Trooper car.
He was arrested again five days later when witnesses said Carlson ran a red light on the Johansen Expressway and collided with a car turning onto the expressway. Both of the occupants of the other car reported minor injuries.
Carlson was reportedly under the influence of Lorazepam, an anti-anxiety drug, at the time of both his arrests.
At last month’s sentencing hearing, Carlson apologized for the embarrassment he had caused his family and the District Attorney’s Office.
Gray said that if Carlson had stayed on as a prosecutor, it could have hindered the office’s ability to prosecute DUI cases. Carlson was responsible for prosecuting many such cases as an assistant district attorney.
“Mr. Carlson understood that situation and agreed that it was necessary that his employment at the District Attorney’s Office be terminated,” Gray said. “Mr. Carlson was a valued colleague and friend, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
Contact staff writer Chris Freiberg at 459-7545.
Get woken up at 3 AM by your best friend who just got back from the morgue identifying her little sister who got killed by an impaired driver and you'd feel the same way.
It is pure luck Mr. Carlson didn't kill someone. And he didn't care at all. I've scraped better then him off my shoe.
To Dave Carlson: There are a lot of junkies & drunks out there. There a also a lot of recovering alcoholic & addicts out there too..
Any time you're sick & tired of being sick & tired check it out.
WHAT A FOOL.
x3 41yrs, I agree.
We might see him run for office. >coffcoff<
Good luck Mr. Carlson, truly.
That his children will read this, we should cut him slack? Sorry, their father is a loser. Yes, a giant loser who didn't care that he could (and almost did) kill someone by driving impaired.
This is a person who knew better, who knew the affects of his pills on his driving and consciously made the decision the drive. He knew because he got arrested for it 5 days earlier. He didn't care so society should be expected to?
He doesn't need good friends because he showed he doesn't deserve them. What he needs is a prolonged stint in jail so he can be punished for placing the lives of everyone else on the road in jeopardy.
Whether he has family or not is meaningless, it meant nothing to him when he got behind the wheel. When we finally stop coddling these people then maybe we can put a dent in the number of DUI cases.
This man is scum and the whole world knows it.
And same to you as I wrote below. He needs good friends who will support him, but also recognize that he has make permanent changes so that this ends up being the worst part of his life, not just the beginning of the worst.
What a kind comment. Recognize that most of the people we see in trouble have more to their lives than the part that brought them down.
Sometimes the worst has to happen so we can get back on track, let this make you stronger. BUT, by all means when you are on your meds, use a DD or taxi please.
Dave has a lot of personal growth and rehabilitation to go through. If he worked in a different office, they maybe could have accomidated him during this period. But not as a DA. Not as someone who has to stand in front of a jury of Fairbanksans and argue why someone with a relatively low BAC is still too impaired to drive. His history would be an issue and a distraction to every one of those cases.
To all who just want to rant and take a dump on this guy through this forum, remember he has teenaged kids who probably will read these comments. He has been a member of this community for over 40 years. Take a moment and think about that before you spew hate and bile here.
Good luck Dave, and when looking at these comments, remember your serenity prayer.
He couldn't have been much of a valued colleague and friend, if they didn't even offer him the chance of rehabilitation and then his job back. What DA's, Judges, police and others are expected to not make mistakes? He was crying out for help and got none. This is the usual treatment for the Golden Heart City. They use you, abuse you, accuse you and bemuse you, then throw you out the back door. Nice to see they haven't changed.
One of the judges in Anchorage got picked up for DUI. He did get some special housing, was restricted to civil cases while awaiting trial, and given a strong chewing out by the Supreme Court. But he is still a judge.
Carlson was taking an anti-anxiety medication - we don't know what caused his anxiety or depression, and whether it was job-related or something going on in his personal life, and it's not our business to know. He's obviously under the care of a physician or psychiatrist, so he must have realized he needed help of some kind.
Yes, the medication does carry a warning about operating a motor vehicle. His "crime", and the reason he lost his job was that he failed to exercise good judgement in taking the wheel after he had taken the prescribed drug. Again, we don't know the details leading up to his making that decision.
Yes, we are all thankful that no one was killed by this man exercising poor judgement, but as we go through our respective days, I think that we are exposed to all manner of drivers using judgement-impairing OTC drugs, illicit drugs, mildly impairing prescription drugs, and alcohol. I shudder to think about how many drivers are impaired not by drugs or alcohol, but by the distractions of cell phones, in-car televisions, out-of-control children, and the lunch they're trying to eat while driving.
There are the drivers who can't control their rage as they are forced to slow down behind slower drivers - making them extremely dangerous - they're loose cannons on wheels, impaired by their own state of mind.
There are drivers who don't really know or understand the rules of the road - generations of kids were unleashed on the highways when Drivers' Education was eliminated from the schools.
And there are elderly drivers for whom driving has become a confusing blur, and who should have given up their keys years ago. I wonder if the commenters below would insist on Grandpa being jailed for exercising poor judgement?
I'm thinking of some military people, or someone who works in a bank and commits a crime of dishonesty, for example.
This prosecutor should have lost his job, but we should at least realize that this is a penalty on top of the other consequences that another person with exactly the same two DUIs would not have faces.
All I'm saying is that for those who think he got off easy, think again. Jail time is only one consequence for criminal behavior; sometimes the collateral consequences are much worse. I suspect he would have gladly served several months in jail if it meant he could keep his job.
At the same time, a judge in Anchorage did not lose his job after a DUI. Go figure!
This guy would have got away with the first one completely had he not been such a numbskull that he turned around and did the same thing. So he was on painkillers, so what? That doesnt make his car weigh less when he does the long blink trying to clear his blurry eyes to open them when his car does a jolt from hittin someone. And he is a hypocrite to boot! Sitting in a position to pass judgement on these things and he is out doing the exact same crime? he knew when he got hired that he could get fired for this, I am glad that they did it. Little long to get to the right answer but no one wants to get sued so they wait until the dust settles and then fire him.
Rockee- I dont want to seem like a downer so, have a nice day :)