Sad judicial comedy in the offing

[treadlightly]

A motorist in Limestone County called the Sheriff to report a probable drunk driver at about 2 AM on August 2, heading westbound into Kosse on Highway 7. The Kosse PD waited for him. Good job on their part. A small town doesn't always have police available at 2 AM.

As the reported vehicle approached the Kosse city limits the police saw it hook a U-turn. The police followed, observed sketchy vehicle management and stopped the alleged drunk.

When the policeman approached the car he observed a handgun lying on the seat. According to the newspaper's quote, the driver acted and smelled drunk.

The paper got confirmation from the county jail of a UCW charge but couldn't confirm public intoxication. The Kosse police say the PI charge was on separate paperwork.

And that has me anticipating some sad judicial comedy.

The County Judge was arrested in April for drunk driving, a thing he blamed on one (or maybe more) medicinal toddies. He was somewhere around twice legal limit drunk.

I believe DWI cases are heard in the county court, so we'll have an elected judge, himself probably awaiting trial for DWI and presumably ineligible for an LTC for years, hearing a DWI charge against another elected official. I don't know if UCW gets heard in County Court or not.

I don't know if the school board member has an LTC or not. As far as I know there isn't much defense for carrying a pistol on the passenger's seat. The MPA doesn't cover an unconcealed handgun. Our lovely little cards do not allow such behavior, and I think any non-MPA based defense of traveling with a handgun would be a difficult argument. I hope he wasn't a license holder, and if the reports are truthful, I hope he gets lifetime ban on Texas gun licenses. Drunk with a loose handgun on the passenger's seat, if true, gives me no confidence he has the judgement to care for a firearm.

Adding a little potential spice to the story, the Mart PD told me they forwarded a standard packet on the judge's case to the McLennan DA back in April, at the time of the judge's arrest. The McLennan DA's office told me about a month ago they had no record of a case against the judge.

Time for popcorn.

[SewTexas]

what a glorious mess!

[Jusme]

A motorist in Limestone County called the Sheriff to report a probable drunk driver at about 2 AM on August 2, heading westbound into Kosse on Highway 7. The Kosse PD waited for him. Good job on their part. A small town doesn't always have police available at 2 AM.

As the reported vehicle approached the Kosse city limits the police saw it hook a U-turn. The police followed, observed sketchy vehicle management and stopped the alleged drunk.

When the policeman approached the car he observed a handgun lying on the seat. According to the newspaper's quote, the driver acted and smelled drunk.

The paper got confirmation from the county jail of a UCW charge but couldn't confirm public intoxication. The Kosse police say the PI charge was on separate paperwork.

And that has me anticipating some sad judicial comedy.

The County Judge was arrested in April for drunk driving, a thing he blamed on one (or maybe more) medicinal toddies. He was somewhere around twice legal limit drunk.

I believe DWI cases are heard in the county court, so we'll have an elected judge, himself probably awaiting trial for DWI and presumably ineligible for an LTC for years, hearing a DWI charge against another elected official. I don't know if UCW gets heard in County Court or not.

I don't know if the school board member has an LTC or not. As far as I know there isn't much defense for carrying a pistol on the passenger's seat. The MPA doesn't cover an unconcealed handgun. Our lovely little cards do not allow such behavior, and I think any non-MPA based defense of traveling with a handgun would be a difficult argument. I hope he wasn't a license holder, and if the reports are truthful, I hope he gets lifetime ban on Texas gun licenses. Drunk with a loose handgun on the passenger's seat, if true, gives me no confidence he has the judgement to care for a firearm.

Adding a little potential spice to the story, the Mart PD told me they forwarded a standard packet on the judge's case to the McLennan DA back in April, at the time of the judge's arrest. The McLennan DA's office told me about a month ago they had no record of a case against the judge.

Time for popcorn.

Slightly confused, regarding the mention of public intoxication charge. If he was driving impaired, it would be a DWI, or DUI, not a PI. Also the UCW charge would not be a charge associated with the DWI, so it would naturally appear as a separate charge, and depending on the department, may be filed on a separate report. In other words, the UCW was not the cause of the DWI, and vice versa, so they would not be combined. If there had been an accident involving a DWI, then those charges would be more likely to be combined.

However, if all he is charged with is a PI, which is a class C misdemeanor, it sounds like some type of "good ole boy" justice taking place.

[flechero]

Adding a little potential spice to the story, the Mart PD told me they forwarded a standard packet on the judge's case to the McLennan DA back in April, at the time of the judge's arrest. The McLennan DA's office told me about a month ago they had no record of a case against the judge.

Sounds like a good story for the 10pm news.

[treadlightly]

I was in a little bit of a hurry when I wrote that. The reported drunk is a member of the local school board, which adds a little community interest.

Rumor has it he has a gun license, which adds to my disgust. My understanding is that he was a constant source of verbal abuse through his time in county housing.

I probably shouldn't have posted the story, but, dang, I'm not very tolerant of risky behavior on roads. Friday night I was coming home from a flight. On southbound I35 there was a stream of cars running much faster than the dense traffic, probably 30 mph faster. One of them splatted a vehicle about 50 yards in front of me.

DWI needs to carry a little weight. I'm not saying people can't redeem themselves. It just shouldn't be something to chuckle off.

Regarding the County Judge's case going away, my guess is he made a plea bargain. First offense, I'm sure it's done all the time. He would legitimately be of the prosecutor's radar.