Britt Reid faces new charges
He was arraigned on drug and driving counts. He will plead later.
A very businesslike Britt Reid arrived in court from jail yesterday to face both new criminal charges and a gauntlet of news-media types.
Reid was charged with misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Despite his no-nonsense attitude inside the courtroom, he turned more glib outside. When asked by reporters as he left the building if he had any comment, he responded with a half-smile: "Hi Mom and Dad."
His courtroom behavior also was a stark contrast to the young man described by witnesses during an incident last week outside a sporting goods store in Plymouth Township.
The son of Eagles coach Andy Reid was too confused to realize his pickup truck was parked just yards away, according to court documents released yesterday.
"Reid attempted to locate his vehicle by using the car remote," according to witnesses. "The vehicle, a large Dodge pickup truck, was approximately 15 to 20 feet in front of him and he still, apparently, could not find it."
When he did, "It took him about three attempts before he was successful getting into the vehicle," police were told.
Reid, 22, already was out on bail as a result of earlier criminal charges involving a road-rage incident. As a result, he was jailed Friday for violating conditions of his release, pending sentencing, in that case. That is expected in the coming weeks.
After five days in jail, "He's doing well under the circumstances," said Ross Weiss, Reid's attorney.
He said his client was not having any problems in the Montgomery County Jail. "He knows what he has to do to get through it," Weiss said.
At yesterday's arraignment on the new charges, Reid spoke with a clear voice when answering Magisterial District Judge Francis J. Bernhardt III's questions about whether he understood the charges.
Journalists with nine television and newspaper cameras followed Reid's every step as he entered and exited the court. A half dozen reporters held out microphones. A helicopter hovered overhead.
Reid will enter a plea at a later hearing.
Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor said the prescription drugs found in Reid's blood sample were "beyond therapeutic levels."
Nine different chemical substances were in his system, "most, if not all," prescribed to him for medical conditions, Castor said.
A "number [were] intoxicating substances . . . the primary ones were amphetamines and Valium, so called uppers and downers," Castor said. "I am quite confident Britt Reid was not capable of operating a motor vehicle safely."
Reid has been prescribed medication for an injured back. Any other medical conditions were not disclosed yesterday.
During the search of the truck Reid was driving, police found 2371/2 pills strewn about the vehicle and in plastic bags, and 31 pills in his pockets. Reid did not have a prescription for one of those pills, a narcotic.
Castor is referring the new case to the state Attorney General's Office because Weiss is a "longtime friend" and treasurer of Castor's campaign for county commissioner.
Earlier this month, Reid pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and drug charges stemming from a Jan. 30 incident in which he was accused of flashing a handgun at another motorist in West Conshohocken. Officers later discovered small amounts of marijuana and cocaine in his vehicle. He faces six to 14 months in jail.
As a condition of his bail, he was to remain drug- and alcohol-free. Reid has said he enrolled at the Malvern Institute, which offers drug- and alcohol-rehabilitation programs.
Reid's older brother, Garrett Reid, 24, was involved in a traffic accident in Plymouth Township on Jan. 30, the same day his younger brother was arrested. He pleaded guilty July 26 to drug and traffic charges and also awaits sentencing.
To read the criminal complaint, go to http://go.philly.com/brittreidEndText