Friday, May 12, 2017

Lawmaker dies from apparent suicide after 2nd drunk driving arrest


LANSING, Mich. - UPDATE: WLUC TV6 and FOX UP has confirmed State Representative John Kivela was found dead in his Lansing home Tuesday from an apparent suicide.
Kivela was arrested Monday night for suspected drunk driving. According to a source when Kivela got out Tuesday morning on a cash bond he was physically distraught and brought to his home in Lansing.
Hours later police found him. He died from an apparent suicide.
The family has been notified.
This statement was also released by House Democratic Leader Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) on the death of state Rep. Kivela:
“I am deeply saddened at the passing of state Rep. John Kivela. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Sandy, and his two children. He was a champion for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and a strong advocate for working people throughout Michigan. He was my friend, and I will miss him. We will always remember the impact that he made on this institution and the state of Michigan.”
Gov. Rick Snyder has also released a statement on Kivela's passing:
“The news of Rep. John Kivela’s passing is devastating to all who knew and worked with him," Gov. Snyder said. "Lt. Gov. Calley and I spent a lot of time working with John in his district -- he was a great person and this is very sad news. John was a tremendous partner in the Legislature who always put the needs of his constituents in Marquette and the Upper Peninsula first. It is with great sadness that I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends, loved ones and colleagues in the Legislature as we mourn his untimely passing.”
In response to news of the tragic death of Rep. Kivela, Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, issued the following statement:
“Like many in the U.P., I lost a dear friend with the tragic passing of John Kivela. My staff and I feel profound sadness over John’s death, as he was like a part of our office through the kindness and support he offered to us," Casperson said. “I know we join many, not only in the U.P, but across the state in holding John’s wife Sandy and their two children in our prayers over their loss."
“I choose to remember John through the many happy times we shared, through the friendship he offered, and through assistance he provided to me and to so many of the constituents we shared," Casperson said. "I also will remember the many legislative successes that were the result of the U.P. legislators coming together and focusing on the issue and not the ideology."
“It is part of John’s legacy and one we would do well to remember," Casperson said. "Frankly, the working relationship that the U.P. delegation formed was the result of John’s outreach and personality. I will forever remember our first spaghetti dinner together — while the homemade dinner John prepared for us was delicious, it was laughs and the personal stories we shared that birthed the start of a friendship that I am so grateful to have enjoyed. He is already missed and he will always remain in our hearts.”
Wednesday morning, Northern Michigan University's President, Fritz Erickson issued the following statement: "Northern Michigan University lost a good friend in the death of Michigan State Representative John Kivela. John was a friend to so many in the community and an ardent supporter of opportunities for students in the U.P. He worked tirelessly on behalf of the community and our students and he should be recognized for that effort. I extend my sympathies to his wife, Sandy, and the Kivela family. He will be greatly missed."
WLUC TV6 and FOX UP will have the latest on all newscasts tonight.
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A state representative from Marquette was found dead from an apparent suicide Tuesday at a Lansing home he owned, hours after he was released from jail following a Monday arrest for suspected drunk driving.
A Lansing police crime scene investigation unit was outside a Chestnut Street home that records show is owned by John Kivela, a Democratic state representative from Marquette.
As news of Kivela’s death began to trickle through the Legislature, the House took on a hushed and somber tone with tears and hugs.
A statement was expected shortly from leaders in the Michigan Legislature.
For the second time in less than two years, Kivela was arrested outside of Lansing Monday on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Kivela, who is in his third and final term in the House and has announced he is seeking a state Senate seat, acknowledged a lifelong drinking problem after his 2015 arrest and said he was seeking help.
At about a quarter to five Monday afternoon, a 48-year-old man was stopped on U.S.-127 after the Clinton County Sheriff's Office received 911 calls about a vehicle driving erratically, Sheriff Lawrence Jerue told the Free Press Tuesday.
The man, who had been arrested before for the same offense, was put through field sobriety tests, arrested, and housed in the county jail overnight, Jerue said. Jenue would not disclose the breath readings the man gave, but said they were high enough to potentially justify a "super drunk charge.
The man was released on bond Tuesday morning and was to return for an arraignment on May 18, he said.
Jerue would not identify the man pending arraignment, but the Free Press confirmed it was Kivela.
In the 2015 incident, Kivela was speeding at 80 miles per hour, swerving in and out of lanes and was confused about where he was coming from when a sheriff’s deputy stopped him just north of Lansing on Nov. 9, according to records obtained by the Free Press.
In that incident, Kivela, was charged under the state's "super drunk" law, which is still a misdemeanor but carries higher potential penalties, including jail time for a first offense, after he was found driving at 80 miles per hour and swerving in and out of lanes on the same freeway in Clinton County.
He later pleaded guilty to a charge of operating while intoxicated, first offense, and the "super drunk" charge was dropped.
In the 2015 incident, Kivela had an open bottle of whiskey in his pickup truck, identified himself as a state representative and pleaded to be let off before blowing nearly three times the legal limit in a series of breath tests, according to a report from the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office obtained under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act. A blood alcohol content of .08 is considered legally drunk in Michigan. A reading of at least .17 is required for a "super drunk" charge.
The lawmaker from the Upper Peninsula issued a statement on Nov. 10, 2015 that said he was seeking treatment for alcoholism.

 Source: uppermichiganssource.com
Location: United States

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