A judge faces DUI charges in Ohio. He used to hand out sentences now he’s about to have one handed out to him.
A Perry County a Judge who has a reputation for warning kids about the dangers of drinking and driving has recently been arrested for just that, a DUI. He also left the scene of the accident. Columbus Police say Judge Dean Wilson was driving under the influence Sunday when he crashed into a COTA bus. Wilson was eastbound on West Springs Road while the bus was westbound. A passenger on the bus was quoted saying “It wasn’t like he sideswiped it. It was like he hit directly into it, it was hard, like boom,” said Williams. “And he just backed up and ran off. We couldn’t believe it. We were just stunned for a minute. The bus driver said, “Did somebody just hit me?’” then we said “Yeah, and he just ran off.” Driving drunk makes you do stupid things.
“He responded like a regular criminal would and ran. That’s it. He ran,” said Williams.
A Police helicopter helped in the search for the hit and run driver. 12 miles away he was found, eastbound on I-70. According to police Wilson refused to take a breathalyzer and also refused to answer questions from local new organizations. “I understand you’ve got a job to do. And I appreciate that, but I have no comment. Any questions can be directed to my attorney,” he said to a local news station.
Wilson started the program with the schools 11 years ago and stated “We’ve fortunately not had one alcohol-related incident in any of the schools, involving the proms, since we instituted the program,” Wilson said at the time.
Judge Dean Wilson
After an investigation, the judge could face anything from a public reprimand to disbarment, although the latter is unlikely in a non-felony case. He may now be facing DUI charges in Ohio.
In the state of Ohio for a first DUI offense jail time can range from 3-6 months, fines can range from $250-$1,000 and license suspension can be anywhere from 6 months all the way to three years. Wilson did refuse a breathalyzer which state law says in a loss of license for 1 year. DUI charges in Ohio are not something to mess with.
Wilson failed to stop which is a 1st degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail and fines up to $500. However, if the accident resulted in serious injury of the other person, the charge is elevated to a 5th degree felony and is punishable by 6-12 months in prison and up to $2,500 in fines. No injuries were reported in the crash.
Wilson has yet to face a judge, besides himself in the mirror, regarding his crime.
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