Exxon Defense Lawyer Arrested

A chief Exxon defense lawyer in the biggest oil spill in U.S. history, caused by the grounding of a tanker whose captain allegedly had been drinking, has been arrested on charges of drunk driving and refusing to take a breath-alcohol test, police said Thursday.

Douglas Serdahely, 42, former presiding judge of state superior courts in Anchorage, had just stepped down from the bench and entered private practice when Exxon hired him to represent the company in massive civil litigation stemming from the March 24 spill. The case involves charges that the skipper, Capt. Joseph Hazelwood, was intoxicated when the Exxon Valdez ran aground.

According to police reports, Serdahely was arrested at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday, flunked a field sobriety test and declined to take a mandatory breath-alcohol test. He was released on his own recognizance.