Rotorua prosecutor twice the legal limit

by Kelly Makiha kelly.makiha@dailypost.co.nz
A Rotorua Crown prosecutor has been caught drink driving at twice the legal limit.

Richard William Maze, 27, appeared in Rotorua District Court yesterday charged with drink driving on Saturday June 14 at 12.06am.

The 27-year-old is a prosecutor at Gordon Pilditch - the law firm contracted to prosecute police cases on behalf of the Crown.

Rotorua Crown Solicitor Fletcher Pilditch said Maze would not lose his job and criticised The Daily Post for covering the court appearance.

Judge James Weir fined Maze $450, ordered him to pay court costs of $130 and medical expenses of $203.

He was also disqualified from driving for six months.

His lawyer, Andy Schulze, said Maze had been drinking at a bar in Rotorua to celebrate his birthday when he was stopped at a checkpoint on Sunset Rd. He recorded a reading of 729 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The limit is 400mcg.

He elected to take a blood test, which returned a reading of 161ml of blood - just over twice the legal limit of 80mg.

Mr Schulze asked that Maze be given credit for pleading guilty as soon as he could. He also noted Maze had been stopped at a compulsory checkpoint, rather than because of the nature of his driving.

"He had been in town that evening celebrating his birthday ... He made an error in electing to drive," Mr Schulze said.

In convicting Maze, Judge Weir commented that it wasn't "much of a birthday present for you".

Maze declined to comment following his court appearance.

As a new prosecutor in Rotorua, Maze appears for police and other prosecuting authorities in criminal and other cases.

He would not normally be involved in prosecuting day-to-day drink driving cases.

The Daily Post asked Mr Pilditch whether Maze would retain his position. Mr Pilditch said he would only comment if his statement was printed in its entirety.

Meanwhile, The Daily Post had applied to photograph Maze's court appearance but the application was turned down by Judge Weir. Maze entered and exited the Rotorua Courthouse via the court's rear entrance through the law library.

Acting court manager Maree Deane said Maze had access to the courthouse's law library.

"When he is finished in court, he is a free man. Going through the law library [is] not seen as untoward."
HIS BOSS' VIEW "I think your story is completely vindictive and unnecessary. I think you are persecuting a young man who has only recently been admitted as a solicitor so I think your paper is picking on him.

"He notified me immediately of the situation he found himself in. I had to conduct an internal process and consider the circumstances of the charge and seek an explanation from him. I then consulted with senior colleagues around the country and advised the Crown Law Office.

"I ultimately considered he is a young man who made a very stupid mistake that he deeply regrets.

"He appreciates he has caused embarrassment to himself, his family and my firm.

"But on balance he will retain his position because I am not prepared to see a young man's career damaged by a mistake I am sure he will never repeat."

- verbal statement from Crown Solicitor Fletcher Pilditch
OUR VIEW Rotorua Crown Solicitor Fletcher Pilditch is out of line to publicly suggest The Daily Post ignore a case where publication is in the public interest. Our editorial policy is: No special treatment. No favours. No looking the other way.