Wilmington council member's drunk driving charge continued to July hearing

Update: Rivenbark's case has been continued to a hearing on July 25 at 9:30 a.m. at the Brunswick County Courthouse in Bolivia, according to court records. Rivenbark did not appear to be physically present during Monday's first appearance but was represented by an attorney.

___________________________________________________________

The alleged drunk driving case of longtime Wilmington City Council member Charlie Rivenbark is set to come before a Brunswick County judge next week.

The six-time council member was arrested in Leland in the early morning hours of May 11. At the time, he had a blood alcohol content of 0.11. In North Carolina, it's illegal to drive a vehicle with a blood alcohol content above 0.08.

He is scheduled to appear at the Brunswick County Courthouse at 9:30 a.m. on June 27. Rivenbark is facing charges of driving while impaired and failing to maintain lane control.

Because this is Rivenbark's first court appearance, it's likely the case won't be resolved during the court hearing, said Ashley Bullard, the executive assistant to Brunswick County District Attorney Jon David.

"It's rare that a case is actually disposed of and handled by trial or by plea on the first setting, but that's also not out of the realm of possibility," she said.

The StarNews sent questions to Rivenbark about the upcoming court date but did not hear back before publication deadline.

More: Wilmington councilman responds to DWI charge

Following Rivenbark's arrest, his driver's license was revoked for 30 days, according to court records, as is standard in North Carolina.

Hours after his arrest, Rivenbark released a statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the incident. He said he was headed home to Wilmington from Myrtle Beach after getting a call from his son who was "experiencing an adverse medical event."  Rivenbark was on a trip with colleagues and didn't think he was impaired.

"I accept responsibility for my actions and I am truly sorry for this situation I have created," he wrote in the statement.

Since the incident occurred, it hasn't been publicly acknowledged during meetings of the Wilmington City Council, where everything seemed business as usual.

In November, the 73-year-old Rivenbark was elected to his sixth term on the Wilmington City Council. A Wilmington native, Rivenbark was first elected to the council in 1993.

He owned and operated several restaurants in the Wilmington area before entering commercial real estate in 2000. He's currently a realtor for Cape Fear Commercial.

Reporter Emma Dill can be reached at 910-343-2096 or edill@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington leader Charlie Rivenbark has DWI charge continued to July