Tewksbury Selectman Mark Kratman Reappears In Court

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury Selectman Mark Kratman had his pre-trial hearing in Woburn District Court Wednesday. Kratman was arrested on Veteran's Day in Wilmington and faces a charge of operating under the influence of liquor. He is due back in court April 17 for discovery, compliance and jury election, according to the court clerk.

The Lowell Sun notes that this is Kratman's third OUI charge, although his lawyer, Terrence Kennedy, told them the “prior alleged offenses were 30 years ago.”

According to the Wilmington police report, three people independently called the police over erratic driving before police pulled Kratman over. At that point, he was unable to find his vehicle registration or answer clearly where he was going. He had had "like three beers," he told police.

The police officer wrote that Kratman gave several answers when asked where he was going and when he was coming from and eventually failed or was unable to complete three sobriety tests. At the station, he blew a .20 breath test. His license was suspended and destroyed by police.

Kratman was first elected selectman in 2015. He is currently the board's vice chair. He ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for a state house seat in 2018. He has continued to serve on the board since his arrest, and is not up for re-election this year.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.