Former Washington County sheriff's officer pleads not guilty to DUI

A former Washington County sheriff's officer pleaded not guilty Tuesday, following a preliminary hearing, to charges related to an alleged drunk driving accident.

Jason Lynn Adams was arrested on Feb. 9 after his unmarked duty vehicle, a Ford F-150 pickup, crashed and rolled on Highway 17 near LaVerkin, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

He was later charged in St. George's 5th District Court with class A misdemeanor DUI and class C misdemeanor failure to operate within a single lane.

A judge on Tuesday ordered Adams to stand trial on the charges after hearing evidence during a preliminary hearing. After the judge bound over the case for trial, Adams pleaded not guilty to both charges.

A Sept. 19 trial has been scheduled, and Adams will be back in court again on Sept. 3 for a status conference.

Neither Adams, 39, of Toquerville, nor his four children, who were passengers, suffered more than minor injuries in the February accident.

Adams, a 16-year-old veteran of the sheriff's department, resigned from the sheriff's office in March, according to The Spectrum.

UHP Sgt. Todd Royce has said troopers was arrested at the scene of the accident after their preliminary investigation indicated alcohol was involved.

Royce said that due to Adams' status as a Washington County lawman, he was taken to the Iron County jail in Cedar City. He was released after posting $2,693 bail, according to jail booking records.

jmiller@sltrib.com

Twitter: @jm_miller