The Department of Public Safety just announced why Brett Mecum, the 30-year-old executive director of the Arizona Republican Party, was arrested this morning at party headquarters:
Mecum, the glum-faced guy in the picture, was caught by a freeway speed camera on April 10 doing 109 mph in his sports car, says DPS. The posted speed limit was 65 mph.
As we've reported, DPS has a policy of arresting folks caught on video cruising that fast, despite a pronouncement by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas that he wouldn't charge anyone for a photo-enforcement-related criminal speed violation.
DPS says Mecum was flashed at 12:30 a.m. on the Loop 101 near 59th Avenue in his blue 2008 Shelby GT 500 Ford Mustang. Sweet car. We hear the young party director bought it after getting promoted to his new position, which came with a higher salary.
Should have bought a Hummer.
Text of DPS news release follows:
Arizona Department of Public Safety's Photo Enforcement Unit arrests Brett Matthew Mecum for criminal speeding and reckless driving
On April 10, 2009, at approximately 12:38 a.m., a stationary photo enforcement camera captured the image of Brett Matthew Mecum driving a 2008 Blue Shelby GT 500 Ford Mustang eastbound on State Route 101 near 59th Avenue at a speed of 109 miles per hour. The posted speed limit is 65 miles per hour.
This morning, officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety's Photo Enforcement Unit arrested Mecum, 30, at his place of employment, on charges of criminal speeding and reckless driving stemming from the incident.
Following his arrest this morning at about 10:30 a.m., Mr. Mecum was booked into the 4th Avenue Jail in Phoenix for criminal speeding and reckless driving.
The state statute which covers criminal speeding applies to everyone equally. If there are valid criminal charges, the arrest of Mr. Mecum is like any other criminal speeding arrest.
In this case the charges speak for themselves.
