REP. DEAN ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES

State Rep. Douglas Dean was charged with possession of cocaine after he was
pulled over for speeding and officers found a plastic bag of white powder
in his wallet, according to College Park police.

Dean, a Democrat from Atlanta, was jailed overnight following his arrest
Sunday. He posted bond and was released Monday.

Dean admitted Thursday he had the drugs, but said they were not his. He
said he had taken the bag away from a family member who had "a problem.

"Then I just forgot the damn stuff was in there," said Dean, 53, who was
waiting at the Capitol to talk to Gov. Roy Barnes about the arrest.

A College Park police report shows Dean was stopped for speeding about 7:30
p.m. Sunday on I-85 at Virginia Avenue.

When asked for identification, Dean handed over his wallet and gave the
officer permission to look inside, according to the report.

In the wallet, the officer reported, he found a plastic straw and plastic
bag containing a white powdery substance. The powder later tested positive
for cocaine, according to police.

In his report, the officer also indicated that Dean smelled of alcohol, and
had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. An alcohol test revealed that Dean
had a .014 blood alcohol content --- well below the legal limit of .08.

Dean said Thursday that he didn't think he was speeding.

He said he handed over his wallet because the officer did not believe he
was a state representative. Had he remembered the cocaine, he said, he
would have gotten rid of it. "When he took my license I had time to destroy
it," he said.

In arresting Dean, College Park officers also discovered an outstanding
warrant against him in Riverdale. Dean is charged there with failure to
appear when he did not show up for court on a charge of running a red light.

It's unclear what affect Dean's arrest may have on his legislative
position. Voters last year passed a constitutional amendment requiring
immediate suspension of a legislator convicted of a felony. That law does
not affect legislators charged with a crime.

House Speaker Tom Murphy said Thursday that Dean "won't be suspended unless
he's tried and convicted."

State Rep. Tyrone Brooks of Atlanta cautioned against "prejudging" Dean.
Brooks said he and the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials stand
behinds him and expressed hope that Dean would be vindicated.

Staff writers Kelly Simmons and S.A. Reid contributed to this article.