ANDERSON — Even though his trial isn’t until October, an Anderson city councilman charged with criminal recklessness will have a pretrial conference later this month.

Ollie H. Dixon Sr. pleaded guilty in June in Anderson City Court to driving while intoxicated and sentenced to one year of probation. Charges of refusing to take a chemical test and failing to signal a turn, both infractions, were dismissed in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Along with serving a year of probation, Dixon, 60, must undergo substance abuse treatment, and his license is suspended for 90 days.

Dixon’s lawyer, Anderson attorney NiCaleSMcGrath 7/2/09 cq Rector, and Special Prosecutor J.A. Cummins will likely appear in Madison Circuit Court on July 15 for a pretrial conference to discuss the status of his criminal recklessness case. Dixon is not required to attend the hearing.

A grand jury indicted Dixon in May on the charge in connection with Dixon bringing a loaded handgun into the Madison County Jail. Criminal recklessness is punishable by six months to three years if he’s found guilty.

Anderson police arrested Dixon on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated at about 10:15 p.m. Saturday, March 28, after a motorist spotted a sport-utility vehicle traveling northbound in a southbound lane of Scatterfield Road, according to court records. Dixon, D-District 4, was driving the vehicle, according to police, and he was taken into custody.

According to court documents, Dixon was handcuffed, checked for weapons twice, and taken to the jail. Guards patted him down two more times at the jail, and he was placed in a detoxification cell with another inmate. The inmate indicated to guards that Dixon had a handgun about an hour later. The gun, a .45 caliber semiautomatic, was removed without incident. Video of the gun being discovered in the jail can be found at www.theheraldbulletin.com.

Contact Shawn McGrath: 640-4883, shawn.mcgrath @heraldbulletin.com