State Rep. Parker arrested on DUI charge

A Philly cop pulled over a motorist who was driving in the wrong direction on a one-way street in Germantown shortly after midnight Sunday.

To the cop's surprise, the driver turned out to be state Rep. Cherelle Parker.

Also surprising: Her breath smelled like alcohol, police said.

Parker, 38, failed a Breathalyzer test after she was pulled over on Baynton Street near Price and was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, said Officer Tanya Little, a police spokeswoman.

Parker was released after a preliminary arraignment and is due in court again on June 1.

The lawmaker, who represents parts of Mount Airy, Chestnut Hill and Roxborough, could not be reached by phone last night.

She instead released a statement through her attorney, Joseph Kelly. "Miss Parker regrets putting herself in this position," he said. "She'll address these allegations at the appropriate time."

Parker won her seat during a special election in 2005 to replace then-state Rep. LeAnna Washington, who was elected to the state Senate.

Parker's election was briefly marred by controvsery; the Committee of Seventy accused Parker of violating state election code by entering polling places and buying lunch for workers.

The good-government group later admitted that it had made a mistake, and that Parker had done nothing wrong.

Before becoming a state representative, Parker worked for years as an aide to City Councilwoman Marian Tasco.