Facing DUI charge, public defender now needs a defender

CONWAY (AP) — Conway police have charged a public defender for Horry and Georgetown counties with drunken driving.

Thirty-two-year-old Melinda Knowles was charged with DUI and possession of an open container of alcohol after she was stopped near a school in Conway early Saturday.

A police report states that the officer said Knowles had slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol on her breath. Officers found two cups that smelled of alcohol in the vehicle. A passenger in the vehicle was cited for an open container violation.

The report says Knowles refused to submit to a breathalyzer test.