By Miles Layton

North Carolina state Sen. Norman Sanderson, a Republican who represents District 2, pleaded guilty June 10 to a Level Five DWI charge in Wake County District Court, according to court records.

See the story and the court filings below. A little eye-opening, more than meets the eye. “Failed to obey state troopers directly traffic in the roadway, almost striking troopers, red glassy eyes, odor of alcoholic beverage on breath, admitted to consuming on the way here, stated two beers, unsteady on feet, slurred speech,” according to court documents. Almost fell and couldn’t recite the ABCs… Trooper gave Sanderson five tries when administering tests, but he couldn’t follow directions, according to court documents.  

Couple of beers!? Everyone always answers “a couple of beers…”

To be fair, Sanderson said he drank two 16-ounce beers — perhaps tall boys, but in any case, more than the standard 12-ounce cans of beer and less than a 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor such as King Cobra.  

As District 2 Senator, Sanderson represents Chowan, Carteret, Halifax, Hyde, Martin, Pamlico, Warren and Washington counties. And yes, he’s running for reelection.

Though Sanderson is a good man, he made a mistake, was convicted and paid the price. Still, as a senator, he should be held accountable the same as most everyone else unless you’re on the Epstein list or have a presidential pardon signed by autopen — several names come to mind.     

Back to our story — Sanderson, 74, of Arapahoe, Pamlico County, was arrested Oct. 18, 2025, after a North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper stopped him near the intersection of Edwards Mill Road and Trinity Road in Raleigh. The arresting officer, Trooper H. Nazal, wrote in a sworn affidavit that Sanderson failed to obey troopers who were directing traffic in the roadway, “almost striking” officers, and that Sanderson had red, glassy eyes, an odor of alcohol on his breath, slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet. The affidavit states Sanderson admitted to drinking on the way to the scene and told officers he had consumed two 16-ounce beers.

A breath test administered at the Wake County Detention Center recorded Sanderson’s blood alcohol concentration at .16, twice the legal limit of .08, according to the test records included in the court file.

Sanderson was charged with driving while impaired, having an open container of alcohol after consuming and failing to obey a traffic officer, court records show. A magistrate set his bond at $2,000 unsecured, and his driver’s license was revoked for at least 30 days under a separate civil revocation order signed the night of his arrest.

Under a plea agreement, Sanderson pleaded guilty to the DWI charge; the open-container and failure-to-obey charges were not part of the judgment entered in the case. Assistant District Attorney Joselyn Sasha Cummings prosecuted the case for the state, and Sanderson was represented by retained defense attorney Berryman J. Fitzhugh.

District Court Judge James R. Fullwood, who signed the judgment June 10, found Sanderson guilty of the DWI charge at punishment Level Five, the state’s determination of the lowest sentencing tier for the offense. The judgment notes the court found Sanderson’s alcohol concentration was 0.15 or greater, a factor considered in sentencing.

Fullwood sentenced Sanderson to 30 days in the custody of the Misdemeanant Confinement Program, then suspended that sentence and placed Sanderson on 12 months of unsupervised probation. As conditions of probation, Sanderson was ordered to surrender his driver’s license to the Clerk of Superior Court, refrain from driving until his privilege is restored, and complete a substance-abuse assessment and any recommended treatment. Court records indicate that by the time of sentencing, Sanderson had already completed the substance-abuse assessment and treatment, as well as 48 hours of community service — double the 24 hours ordered by the court, which waived the related community-service fee.

Records show Sanderson was assessed $393 in court costs and fines, due by June 10, 2026.