Southport NC — Driving while impaired charges against Southport Alderman Robert Carroll have been permanently dropped following a Superior Court ruling that upheld an earlier dismissal, allowing Carroll to remain in his elected post on the city’s governing board, even with the tarnished halo.
The legal matter stems from a December 2025 traffic stop in Boiling Spring Lakes. Court records revealed state lab blood test results showing a 0.21 BAC. In May, District Court Judge Scott Ussery dismissed the case prior to trial, citing procedural violations during the arrest and the handling of Carroll’s rights.
Prosecutors with District Attorney Jon David’s office appealed the lower court ruling to Superior Court in June. Because misdemeanor DWI cases in North Carolina are tried by a judge in District Court rather than a jury, prosecutors sought to overturn the procedural dismissal on appeal.
With the Superior Court judge upholding the initial dismissal and denying the state’s appeal, the legal options to pursue the charge were exhausted. The case was formally cleared from the county court docket, concluding the matter without a conviction and leaving Carroll’s elected seat on the Board of Aldermen unaffected.
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