Pistons' Ben Wallace Postpones Hearing on Drunken Driving, Weapons Charges

Today's scheduled hearing for Pistons center Ben Wallace on drunken driving and weapons charges was postponed, Oakland County Circuit Court officials said.

The 37-year-old Bloomfield Hills resident is charged with operating while intoxicated and carrying a concealed weapon following his arrest in Bloomfield Township last month. He remains free on a personal bond pending his next appearance before Oakland County Circuit Judge Shalina Kumar.

Bloomfield Township police officers arrested Wallace at about 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 24 after witnessing his Cadillac driving erratically in the area of Telegraph and Long Lake roads, police reports said. He failed multiple sobriety tests at the scene and had a blood-alcohol content of more than the state legal limit of .08. Authorities have not revealed the precise test results.

Officers found an unloaded handgun and ammunition in a backpack within the passenger compartment of the vehicle, reports said. He later told police the gun belonged to his wife and that he had it for protection while driving from Virginia to Michigan the previous day. He said he forgot about the weapon and did not have the proper concealed weapon permit, according to reports.

His attorney, Steven Fishman, declined comment on the case today.

If convicted, Wallace faces up to 93 days in jail on the drunken driving charge and up to five years in prison on the weapons charge.