Former Asheville Police Chief’s Wife Pleads Guilty, Sentenced for Driving While Impaired

Former Asheville Police Chief’s Wife Pleads Guilty, Sentenced for Driving While Impaired

ASHEVILLE — The wife of former Asheville Police Chief David Zack pleaded guilty in Buncombe County District Court March 28 to driving while impaired. Judge Julie Kepple sentenced Mary Clarissa Hyatt-Zack to a 120-day suspended sentence and 12 months of unsupervised probation, according to court records.

Handling of the Case

To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, according to District Attorney Todd Williams, the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys handled the case. Its executive director, Kimberly Spahos, said Kepple also ordered that Hyatt-Zack, 44, obtain a substance abuse assessment, comply with recommended treatment, complete 48 hours of community service, pay a fine, and not operate a vehicle until she is licensed or has a court-ordered limited driving privilege.

Details of the Offense

Hyatt-Zack was convicted on a level 4 DWI offense, which applies to first-time offenders with a blood alcohol content level at or above 0.15% or repeat offenders with a blood alcohol content level below 0.15%. She was arrested on Nov. 2 after driving unlawfully while impaired on N.C. 280, Airport Road, according to her APD arrest warrant.

Crash Report Details

Her vehicle license plate number corresponds with a crash report for an accident that occurred at the same time and location of her arrest. The crash report revealed that Hyatt-Zack blew double the legal limit at .16 blood alcohol content.

Personal and Professional Background

Former police chief Zack and Hyatt-Zack were married on September 5, 2022. She recently indicated the couple is separating. Zack resigned in December 2023 after three years of running APD. Hyatt-Zack, a listing agent with eXp Realty, was formerly an administrator on the Asheville Coalition for Public Safety Facebook group but left after the DWI arrest.

Previous Cases of Note

The Citizen Times does not typically report on misdemeanor DWIs except in cases of prominent figures, elected officials, members of law enforcement, and in certain other circumstances. In 2013, the Citizen Times reported on the arrest of then-Asheville Police Chief William Anderson’s son for obstruction of justice and a separate DWI charge. In 2014, the publication reported on City Council member Cecil Bothwell’s DWI arrest.