The saga of Dennie Ray Oxley II is nothing new to readers of this blog, but it continues to unfold in ways both amusing and tragic.

In the wee hours Friday morning, the Democrats’ former lieutenant governor candidate–drunk out of his gourd and his speech slurring–was found in the parking lot of a downtown Indianapolis gas station trying to run away from a passed-out House intern (or former intern?) who was shoeless and face down on the ground.

When approached about the girl–reported to be one Kristin Dowlut, apparently the niece of State Rep. David Niezgodski (D, South Bend)–by the gas station attendant Oxley declared in slurred speech that he “wasn’t going to touch her.”

When police arrived, Oxley tried to hide behind a nearby car.

When police discovered his cunning hiding place, he declared that he was a member of the state legislature–he isn’t–which was currently in special session and that he therefore couldn’t be arrested and had immunity granted by the state constitution. Oxley is currently a staffer for Speaker Pat “The Hair” Bauer.

It was also reported that he was carrying the intern’s shoes and did not know where he was or how he got there.

Officers, who called the incident in, apparently believed that young Oxley was his father (also Dennie Ray Oxley, who won his son’s seat back last November while the son ran for governor). They were instructed not to arrest Oxley on the mistaken belief that he was a legislator.

This is, to put it lightly, not an auspicious stop on the Dennie Ray Oxley II Image Rehabilitation Tour, which began when Oxley was the speaker at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner of the Harrison County Democrats back in April. Since then, the Democrats have moved on (just as of this week) to hunt for a new Secretary of State placeholder; hopefully this turn of events did not drive young Oxley to drink.

Earlier this year, in February, Oxley was arrested for a DUI in Crawford County. His blood alcohol level in that incident was twice the legal limit. It was initially reported that he had a passenger with him, something reflected in the charges. The passenger later disappeared; it was claimed that they were never there in the first place. It has also been rumored that the car Oxley was driving during that incident had state representative plates.

That incident was not the first of Oxley’s run-ins while drinking. Many were rumored to have occurred before and been swept under the rug by the Democrats’ good old boy network. Similarly, this is not the first rumor I have heard about Dennie Oxley having way too much to drink in Indianapolis, nor the first rumor I’ve heard about him cavorting with young House interns.

He doesn’t appear to have learned anything from the February incident, and has now dragged a poor young girl into a tangled web created by his drunken behavior. Over at Blue Indiana, a commenter lamented:

Why is this a surprise to anyone?

This is the way he behaved while in office. Thank God the Dem ticket didn’t win last year, even though I voted for it.

I don’t think the LG gets a police driver now, does (s)he?

He’s a clod and a social misfit. Always was, always will be.

Here are the various stories about second Oxley incident (including video… yes, video). An archive of posts about the Int-Oxley-cated saga follows at the end.

The Courier-Journal:

(Read more after the leap)

Indy Police say Oxley Jr. lied to avoid arrest

INDIANAPOLIS — Dennie Oxley Jr., a former state legislator and last year’s Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, avoided arrest on alcohol-related charges early Friday by telling police he was serving in the General Assembly, according an Indianapolis Police report.

Oxley, 38, of Taswell, appeared intoxicated with “extremely slurred” speech, balance problems and bloodshot eyes when police found him walking away from a woman lying in the parking lot of a downtown Indianapolis gas station, the report said.

Oxley told the officers he was a legislator serving in the special session and therefore was immune from arrest, said Sgt. Matthew Mount, a spokesman for the Indianapolis metro police department.

The Indiana Constitution says that “in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of the peace,” members of the House and Senate will be immune from arrest during a session of the General Assembly.

But Oxley did not run for his former House District 73 seat last year after he was nominated to be his party’s candidate for lieutenant governor. His father, also named Dennie Oxley, did run and now holds the House seat.

“The officers didn’t know he wasn’t in the legislature,” Mount said. “They called the prosecutor who advised that it was safer not to arrest him” on a misdemeanor charge.

Mount referred questions about whether Oxley Jr. could now be charged with a crime to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, where a spokesman did not immediately return calls.

Oxley Jr., who was arrested earlier this year for drunken driving after a minor traffic accident in Crawford County, did not immediately return a message left at his home.

According to the police report, a witness said a cab dropped Oxley Jr. and the woman off at the gas station but the witness did not see how she ended up on the ground. The report said the woman was “extremely intoxicated” and was taken to Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis.

The Indianapolis Star:

Former candidate talks his way out of arrest

A former Democratic Indiana state representative was found apparently intoxicated at a gas station early this morning and avoided arrest by falsely telling police he was a lawmaker serving during the special session, which would grant him immunity.

Police found Dennie Oxley, 38, at the Downtown Citgo in the 400 block of East Ohio Street about 1 a.m. today. According to a police report, he smelled heavily of alcohol, his eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and his speech was extremely slurred. He was standing a few feet away from Kristin Dowlut, 21, who was lying face down on the gas station parking lot, apparently unconscious.

When Oxley observed police, he began walking away while an officer asked him to stop. After police detained Oxley, he told them he was a state representative and was currently in special session.

Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said he would meet with officers Monday to discuss the case and whether criminal charges would be filed. Oxley could face charges of public intoxication and impersonation of a public servant, both misdemeanors.

According to the police report, a witness who works at the gas station told police he saw a taxi cab drop off Oxley and Dowlut and later noticed Dowlut on the ground but didn’t know how she got there. The gas station attendant said he went outside to try to help the female and tried to get Oxley to help her, but Oxley responded that he was not going to touch her.

Dowlut was transported to Wishard Memorial Hospital. Police did not arrest Oxley, according to the report, because of immunity during the General Assembly session.

The Indiana Constitution provides lawmakers immunity from arrest during session in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of the peace. Lawmakers can later be charged with the crimes.

Oxley, a former representative in the southwestern House District 73, ran for lieutenant governor on Jill Long Thompson’s ticket in 2008.

RTV6:

Police: Former Rep. Claimed Immunity To Avoid Arrest
Dennie Oxley Could Face Several Charges

POSTED: 2:20 pm EDT June 26, 2009
UPDATED: 6:22 am EDT June 27, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS — A former state representative and once Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor told Indianapolis police that he was immune from arrest during an alleged drunken incident outside a gas station downtown early Friday morning.

Dennie Oxley, 38, of Taswell, Ind., was with a 21-year-old female Indiana House intern in the parking lot of the Citgo gas station in the 400 block of East Ohio Street after 1 a.m., 6News’ Jack Rinehart reported.

Police were called to the station because the woman was shoeless and lying on the ground, and others were concerned for her safety.

When officers arrived, they said they saw Oxley holding a pair of shoes and trying to evade them by walking quickly through a nearby alley. An officer caught up to Oxley and immediately noticed Oxley had been drinking heavily.

“He was … extremely intoxicated, slurring speech. During the course of the conversation (Oxley) stated he didn’t know how he got there or where he was,” said Indianapolis police Sgt. Matt Mount.

Oxley also told the officer that he couldn’t be arrested because the Legislature is in session, even though he is no longer a legislator.

Oxley gave up his seat to run a losing campaign with gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson against Gov. Mitch Daniels. Oxley’s father, also named Dennie Oxley, filled the vacated post in the House.

“They started talking about possibly arresting him for public intoxication, at which time he informed that they couldn’t because of immunity since he was a state representative and they were in session,” Mount said.

Officers took Oxley at his word. Although the immunity point is moot in this case because Oxley is no longer a legislator, Article IV Section 8 of the Indiana Constitution says “senators and representatives, in all cases except treason, felony and breach of the peace, shall be privileged from arrest during the session of the General Assembly, and in going to and returning from same.”

Police said the woman involved was also extremely intoxicated and had apparently passed out on the ground. She was not able to give officers her version of the events.

Gas station clerk Mansour Alsubaie told police that a cab had dropped Oxley and the woman there.

Much of the incident was captured on gas station surveillance video. When officers arrived, it appeared on the video that Oxley tried to hide behind another car, hoping to avoid detection.

Oxley has not been charged, but because he allegedly gave police incorrect information about being a member of the Legislature, obstruction of justice and public intoxication are two of several charges he could face.

Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said he has ordered an investigation into the Oxley case and called the allegations serious.

“We want to talk to the police officers and find out what was said,” Brizzi said. “We don’t have all the facts, so we’re going to take some time.”

The intern was taken by ambulance to Wishard Memorial Hospital for evaluation. If police had not been able to find Oxley a ride home with a friend, he would also have been taken to a hospital, Rinehart reported.

Witness: Oxley ‘Freaking Out’ At Gas Station

A man who witnessed Oxley’s ordeal said the former state representative was “freaking out, basically” in the gas station parking lot during the incident.

Mansour Alsubaie said he saw the cab pull up and then saw a woman lying on the ground after it left.

Alsubaie said he made sure someone called for help and then checked on the woman himself.

“When I came outside, he was looking at her, and I started talking to her and said, ‘Are you alright?’” Alsubaie said. “She was like saying some words, but I was not understanding. She was like too drunk.”

After Indianapolis officers arrived, Mansour said Oxley tried to avoid being seen and put the woman’s high heel shoes in his jacket and walked off.

“I saw when the police officers come here, he was trying to leave,” Alsubaie said. “The police officer catch him there.”

Oxley was a policy advisor for House Speaker Pat Bauer, but he was a contract employee and that position ended at the close of the regular session.

This isn’t Oxley’s first run-in with legal trouble. In February, he was arrested in southern Indiana after his involvement in a traffic crash in which he was intoxicated, police said.

Oxley hit a parked car in Crawford County, officials said, and his blood-alcohol level at the time was at least twice Indiana’s legal limit.

After that arrest, Oxley said he had “let folks down” and that he “will work every day to earn back their confidence.”

6News made several attempts to contact Oxley Friday, but he didn’t return calls.

RTV6 also has the surveilance video of the incident at the above link; it makes for interesting viewing.

The Int-Oxley-Cated Saga:

Dennie Ray II Mulling Secretary of State Bid, in which Oxley II, fresh off his defeat on the Democratic gubernatorial ticket is rumored to be considering a run for Secretary of State.

Interesting Development: Dennie Ray Oxley II Arrested for Drunk Driving After Auto Accident in Crawford County, in which Oxley II was arrested in Crawford County after being drunk and having an auto accident; it is noted that this rumored to not be his first encounter with the law while drinking.

Int-Oxley-cated: Dennie Ray II’s Dangerous & Dumbfounding Drunk Driving Debacle, in which more is learned about the arrest in Crawford County, it is noted that his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit, and that Oxley himself voted to raise the blood alcohol level to that new limit when he was in the legislature.

Int-Oxley-cated Update, in which the political implications of Oxley II’s behavior are explored, and the possibility of a special prosecutor to handle the case is discussed.

Int-Oxley-cated: More Facts Emerge in Dennie Ray II DUI Case… The Passenger Just Vanishes, in which more details emerge about the Oxley DUI incident, including information about the damage done to the other vehicle, the passenger reportedly with young Oxley according to earlier accounts vanishes, and discussion begins about how such things are “traditionally” handled in Crawford County.

Int-Oxley-cated: Special Prosecutor Requested, in which a special prosecutor is requested for the Oxley II DUI case and it is declared that “there is no proof” that there was ever a passenger when people start asking about how the passenger could just disappear.