Richard Simard, New Hampshire Liquor Commissioner, Fired After DWI Charge

(April 20) -- New Hampshire liquor commissioner Richard Simard was fired Monday after he was charged with drunken driving over the weekend. When local police stopped Simard in his 2010 BMW for "driving erratically" Saturday night, he refused to take a Breathalyzer test to prove his sobriety, the Boston Globe reports.

Gov. John Lynch, who lowered the boom on Simard, said his behavior was not appropriate.

Gilford Police Department

New Hampshire Liquor Commissioner Richard Simard was fired on Monday after he was charged with drunken driving over the weekend.

"It is simply unacceptable for a liquor commissioner, stopped by the police on suspicion of driving under the influence, to refuse a Breathalyzer test," Lynch told WMUR.

Simard, 67, was charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding, and was released on $1,000 bail. As state liquor commissioner, he was the head of the three-member agency that regulates the sale and distribution of alcohol in New Hampshire.

Simard's term expired last year, but he was serving as interim commissioner until a replacement could be found. Now, that search has taken on a new sense of urgency, especially since there's only one member left on the commission. Mark Bodi, another member of the commission, is on paid leave while the attorney general reviews his role in the investigation of an incident involving liquor laws in Keene, N.H.

Simard's court date is May 6.