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HAZE Temp: 54 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Friday, January 31, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 14, 2003 Former Medford cop gets 10 days in jail, $1,000 fine By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune A former Medford police detective will spend time in jail for drunken driving. Ray Leach, 53, of the 3100 block of Delta Waters Road, Medford, pleaded guilty in Jackson County Circuit Court Monday to driving under the influence of intoxicants and second-degree criminal mischief. Leach resigned from his post with the Medford Police Department last year after he was placed on paid administrative leave for two weeks. He was arrested for drunken driving in June 2002 — days before he would have completed a yearlong diversion program for a prior DUII. This time, Leach will spend 10 days in jail and two years on probation. His driver’s license was suspended. Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Mejia also ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine and restitution to the police department for repairing a damaged patrol car. Leach’s vehicle smashed into the back of Medford officer Corey Schwab’s police cruiser at about 12:35 a.m. on June 16. Schwab was interviewing another driver who had reported a hit-and- run crash when his car was rear-ended by Leach’s 1994 Lincoln. Schwab’s cruiser was parked on Fourth Street with its lights flashing. The patrol car had an estimated $3,500 in damage, said Medford Police Chief Eric Mellgren. Schwab’s car also bumped into the one in front of it. Leach refused to take a breath test to determine his blood-alcohol level. He initially was lodged in the Jackson County Jail but was released several days later on his own recognizance. He told police department officials that he was leaving his position on the same day that an internal investigation into his conduct was to begin. The detective was suspended for a week without pay in 2001 after an internal investigation revealed that Leach violated department policy by drinking and driving. He was hospitalized with head injuries in June 2001 after his Harley-Davidson motorcycle struck the edge of a cement barrier near the Rogue Valley Mall and flipped on top of him. His blood-alcohol level was .08 — Oregon’s legal limit — at the time. Leach told Mejia that he had worked hard to make some changes in his life, including completing a treatment program for alcohol abuse. Leach had been employed with the Medford Police Department since 1987. He no longer works in law enforcement. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S