Final Pretrial Scheduled in Mark Schneider Drunk Driving Case

The final pretrial has been scheduled for former State Rep. Mark Schneider in Mentor Municipal Court.

Schneider, who lives in Mentor, is accused of driving drunk. He to charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and changing lanes illegally.

Schneider came to the Mentor courthouse with an attorney for a scheduled pretrial Monday. However, he did not appear in court. Instead, another pretrial was scheduled for May 2.

This pretrial is Schneider's final one. If no agreement can be made between Schneider and John O'Donnell, then a jury trial is scheduled to start May 5.

, who lives in Mentor, Jan. 17. An officer pulled him over for changing lanes without signaling, Mentor Police Lt. Tom Powers said.

The officer suspected that Schneider was drunk because his eyes were red and glassy, his speech slurred, and he had the scent of alcohol on his breath, Powers said.

Schneider refused to take a Breathalyzer or any field sobriety tests.

Schneider was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2008 and served one term until he lost his seat to Rep. Ron Young. He served the 63rd district, which includes Mentor and the eastern half of Lake County.

Before he was a representative, he worked for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office as an assistant prosecutor on its Major Trials Unit. Schneider has worked for The DiCello Firm since 2008, practicing estate and guardianship law.