Polk Deputy Resigns After Being Accused Of Driving Under The Influence

BARTOW, FL — A Polk County sheriff's deputy has resigned after being arrested and charged with driving under the influence Saturday.

According to the Polk County sheriff, at 3:12 a.m., Bartow police responded to a single-vehicle crash on Highway 60 near Main Street in Bartow. There, they discovered 29-year-old James Peach of Polk County had been driving his personal Chevrolet Silverado east on Highway 60 when he lost control of his pickup truck and struck a tree on the shoulder of the road.

Bartow officers said Peach appeared intoxicated and he was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI. Peach, who was uninjured, scored .153 on the blood-alcohol test. The legal limit for intoxication in Florida is .08.

Peach was hired in April 2019 as a detention deputy and became a deputy sheriff in September 2022.

Sheriff's supervisors accepted Peach's resignation during the booking process. Peach would have been fired had he not resigned, according to the sheriff.

He posted $500 bail and was released.

"In orientation, I tell everyone you are held to a higher standard than the rest of the community and, if you drink and drive, you will be arrested and lose your job. That's exactly what happened," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.