Democratic county attorney apologizes after allegedly being caught drunk in courtroom

A county attorney in southern Iowa has apologized and has asked voters to let her continue her work after she was accused of being drunk in a courtroom.

A Democratic county attorney up for reelection in southern Iowa has apologized and has asked voters to let her continue her work after she was accused of being drunk in a courtroom.

Michelle Rivera, 42, has been charged with public intoxication, Clarke County court documents say.

A sheriff's deputy says in a criminal complaint that he noticed Rivera "slurring her words and stumbling on her feet" in the Osceola courtroom last Thursday afternoon. He arrested her after she refused to take a breath test.

Rivera is running for re-election against Republican Adam Ramsey on Nov. 6. She issued a statement in which she said she's "taking every step necessary to get help, to fix this problem and to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again."

She apologized for what happened Thursday and said she hopes voters "will afford me the opportunity to continue this endeavor next term."

The Associated Press contributed to this report