Hollywood city attorney on DUI charges

HOLLYWOOD — City Attorney Jeff Sheffel was arrested on DUI charges Sunday night after he drove his car onto a sidewalk on a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway.

He stopped after the car got pinned between a concrete wall and a guard rail along the Hollywood Boulevard bridge, police say. To get out of his car, Sheffel climbed through the driver’s side window.

At the scene, Sheffel was dazed, confused and smelled of alcohol, a police report says.

Sheffel, 57, told the Sun Sentinel he’d fallen asleep at the wheel but was not drunk.

He attributed his drowsiness to lack of sleep, missing his dose of diabetes medication and being out in the sun all day at the city’s St. Patrick’s Day festival.

“Until I’ve spoken with an attorney, I’m not going to say much,” he said. “I intend to fight the charge. I will be at work tomorrow.”

Sheffel’s accident occurred just before 6 p.m. Sunday, when Hollywood’s St. Patrick’s Day festival was wrapping up. Earlier in the day, he rode on a parade float down Hollywood Boulevard with the entire city commission.

It was unclear Monday whether his arrest would affect his job as city attorney. He has been with Hollywood since May 2008.

Sheffel posted $1,500 bail Monday morning after spending the night in jail.

According to a police report, Sheffel told the first Hollywood officer on scene: “I know I had too much to drink. I had too many beers.”

Because of Sheffel’s position as city attorney, Hollywood police called the Broward Sheriff’s Office to handle the DUI investigation to avoid any appearance of conflict.

Sheffel declined to take a breath test but consented to a voluntary field sobriety test Sunday. He failed that test and was arrested at 8:30 p.m., a police report says.

Commissioner Debra Case said she had a couple of beers with Sheffel after the parade but had no contact with him after that.

“It’s really sad,” she said of his arrest. “He’s always been a Steady Eddie. I believe he is an awesome attorney for us. I don’t think he should lose his job over this.”

Mayor Josh Levy and former 1, Mayor Peter Bober also offered Sheffel their support.

“Jeff has been a longtime city employee and has performed his job very well,” Levy said. “This is an occurrence of first instance for him and I hope that if he needs help, that he get it.”

Bober said he hopes Sheffel gets to keep his job.

“Jeff has been a great employee,” Bober said. “I think he’s worked hard. I definitely believe in innocent until proven guilty. I certainly feel for him. It’s got to be difficult to have your name in headlines for something like this.”

Sheffel is not the first Hollywood official to face DUI charges. Former City Manager Doug Hewett was charged with DUI in April 2012 and resigned after just 14 weeks on the job.

Commissioner Peter Hernandez, who has clashed with Sheffel, declined to say whether he planned to push for his dismissal at this week’s commission meeting.

“I was just surprised and grateful no one was injured,” Hernandez said Monday. “I don’t know if this will come up Wednesday. I don’t know if he will be there. He may decide to resign.”

Commissioners gave Sheffel a 4 percent raise last month, bringing his salary to $210,000.

Sheffel