MA judge recalls Amorello's default warrant

A judge has recalled the arrest warrant for former Big Dig head Matthew Amorello and rescheduled his arraignment on drunken driving charges.

A Haverhill District Court judge withdrew the warrant on Tuesday at the request of Amorello's lawyer and rescheduled the arraignment for Aug. 24.

The default warrant was issued on Monday after Amorello did not appear to answer charges that he was drunk when he damaged two parked cars in Haverhill early Saturday morning.

Attorney William Hogan III told the judge Amorello has been hospitalized since Sunday, although he did not say why. According to the police report, Amorello refused medical treatment after his arrest.

Amorello was appointed in 2002 to lead the Turnpike Authority. He resigned under pressure from then-Gov. Mitt Romney in 2006 after a Big Dig tunnel ceiling collapse killed a Boston woman.