The drunken driving charges have been dismissed and a sitting Warwick School Committee member and past chairwoman pleaded no contest Monday to a simple assault charge, following her February arrest.

City-wide School Committee member Karen A. Bachus, 60, of 208 Burt St., Warwick, entered not guilty pleas for charges of simple assault and DUI (BAC unknown, first offense) at her March arraignment.

On May 15, however, according to court records, Bachus entered a “Plea of Nolo Contendere” (“No Contest”) for the Simple Assault and/or Battery charge, and the DUI charge was “Dismissed by Prosecution.” Bachus also faced a citation for refusing a chemical breath test.

“The dismissal of the DUI charge was in conjunction with a guilty plea to the Refusal charge,” Warwick Police Chief Col. Bradford Connor said Wednesday morning. “This is a standard practice for first offense cases. No special ‘deals’ were given because of Ms. Bachus’ elected position. Our prosecution team was advised that we believed the Simple Assault case against Bachus was strong and we were prepared to take it to trial. I was pleased with defendant’s plea of no-contest.”

At 9:51 p.m., Feb. 18, Warwick Police Officer Keara M. Enos was dispatched to 3275 Post Road after a caller reported Bachus’ pickup truck “speeding over the speed bumps” and swerving in front of Warwick City Hall. Enos spotted the truck, which was allegedly swerving across the fog line, and initiated a traffic stop.

Two witnesses signed statements that they saw Bachus’ vehicle “constantly swerving” and “there were several instances where she was primarily driving in the break down lane.” Enos initiated a traffic stop and identified the driver as Bachus.

Police asked Bachus if she had consumed any alcohol and she alleged answered that she had two glasses of rice wine (Japanese sake). Bachus was asked to consent to a series of standardized field sobriety tests. Following the tests, she was arrested and transported to the Warwick Police Department.

At the department, Enos noted in the arrest report that Bachus was combative and refused to comply with direct commands. At one point she refused to stand, according to police, and screamed repeatedly. After Bachus refused to take a chemical breath test, she allegedly struck Enos, resulting in the Simple Assault charge, according to the arrest report.

“I want to make folks aware that I was involved in an incident this weekend that resulted in my being arrested and charged with DUI and simple assault,” Bachus wrote in a Feb. 22 online post. “I am extremely embarrassed by this incident. It does not reflect who I am or whom I strive to be every day. I apologize to my family, friends, colleagues, and constituents. This incident will be addressed through our judicial system. I cannot comment further at this time.”

On April 17, according to court records, the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal sentenced Bachus to four conditions — attend an alcohol Education Program, 10 hours community service, install an Ignition Interlock System and lose her driver’s license for 30 days — following her plea on the Refusal to Submit to Chemical Test charge.

Bachus’s attorney, Jason Knight, said his client has her driver’s license back and is ready to move on with her life.

“It’s resolved resolved,” he said. “(The case) is done.”

Associate Judge James J. Caruolo filed the Simple Assault charge for one year and ordered Bachus to pay $96.75 in court costs, according to court records.

“They take the file and literally put it on the shelf,” Knight explained. “If you don’t have any more problems for a year, they rip it up … The court in this case chose not to sentence her, but to give her this amount of time to show good behavior … It’s the most lenient thing you can get short of a flat-out dismissal.”

Knight said that Bachus’s Feb. 22 online post is reflective of how she feels now that the case has worked its way through the legal system.

“I don’t want to speak about Karen’s case specifically, but as a lawyer with a case, the case was well handled,” Knight said. “Warwick was sensitive to her public position. And as you can see … they made sure she was treated just like anyone else and I think it was a fair disposition.”