IN BRIEF : Giants’ Taylor to Face Drunk Count

New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor will be charged with driving while intoxicated, a prosecutor said today, one week after police found Taylor asleep at the wheel of his Jeep alongside a highway.

A breath analysis after the episode on March 24 showed the perennial All-Pro linebacker had a blood-alcohol level of .09%, said Saddle Brook prosecutor Joseph Mecca Jr. Under New Jersey law, .10% is considered the legal definition for drunkenness. When deciding whether to prosecute, however, other factors can be considered if the level falls between .05% and .09%. “I decided the case has to proceed,” Mecca said.

If convicted at the April 19 hearing, Taylor could be fined and could lose driving privileges, Mecca said. Trooper Robert Pohida found Taylor about 3:30 a.m. parked on the shoulder of the Garden State Parkway near Saddle Brook.