Chris Licata
VERNON, Conn. – Finally Keith Richards can sleep at night.
From the department of, “where the hell did this come from?” Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has applied for clemency on behalf of Richards to have a 1975 reckless driving charge dropped, according to an Associated Press story. Huckabee, a fellow musician who plays the bass, realized that Richards’ opinion of the state was “marred by a misdemeanor traffic stop.”
The incident in question occurred when Richards, fellow band member Ron Wood, a security guard and fan were traveling from Memphis, Tenn. to Dallas for a show. The group proceeded to stop in the town of Fordyce for lunch, and upon pulling out of the establishment afterwards were pulled over by Arkansas finest for swerving. Though Richards claimed he was bending over to change the radio, the officer said he smelled Marijuana and brought all four in.
Richards was charged with reckless driving and possession of a concealed knife, which was later dropped. Richards paid his $162.50 fine and the incident quickly faded into obscurity.
So how much has this weighed on Richards’ mind over the years? When attempting to get a quote from Stones publicist Fran Curtis, the AP reporter was met with confusion as she had no knowledge of the incident. Additionally messages left for Richards’ manager Jane Rose were not returned according to the report.
