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Quincy official accused of driving drunk at over 100 mph
Marli Caslli, the head of Quincy's Department of Public Health, was pulled over early Sunday morning on Route 3.
Quincy Commissioner of Public Health Marli Caslli was arrested earlier this week after allegedly driving while intoxicated and breaking the speed limit.
Caslli faces a criminal charge of operating under the influence and a civil infraction for speeding. He was arraigned in Quincy District Court on Monday. Caslli pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance, according to court documents. He is scheduled to return to court in June for a pretrial hearing.
“My client disputes the allegations, and has never been in trouble in his life. He’s an upstanding citizen, and we look forward to our day in court and expect a full exoneration. Out of respect for the process we reserve further comment until after the case is finished,” Caslli’s attorney, Scott Martin, said in a statement to Boston.com.
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Caslli was allegedly pulled over by a State Police trooper while driving more than 100 mph on Route 3 South in Weymouth at around 2 a.m., The Patriot Ledger reported.
He reportedly told the trooper that he was heading back home from a restaurant in the Seaport District of Boston. Caslli said he had two drinks, and the trooper reported smelling alcohol on his breath. Caslli also had bloodshot eyes, and his speech was “thick tongued,” according to a police report obtained by the Ledger.
The trooper initiated a field sobriety test. Caslli asked if it was necessary before failing 14 of the 18 elements in the test. The trooper reportedly used a breathalyzer to determine that Caslli had a blood alcohol content of .097. The legal limit is .08.
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State Police spokespeople did not return requests for information Wednesday.
Caslli is still listed as the head of the city’s Health Department online. A spokesperson for Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch did not return a request for comment Wednesday.
Caslli, a 29-year-old who earned degrees from Curry College and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, was hired in 2021 amid the height of the COVID pandemic.
When he was hired, Caslli told the Ledger that he was focused on improving mobile cancer screenings, blood drives, mosquito control, asbestos abatement, and rodent control, in addition to promoting vaccine clinics and other COVID-related programs.
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