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Summary
Late Thursday afternoon, 9News gained access to video of a Warren County Judge begging and threatening an Ohio State Trooper. Judge James Heath was pulled over in Wilmington in October 2008 after crossing the center line and running a red light. He was charged with drunk driving and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. The drunk driving suspect immediately identified himself to troopers as Judge James Heath of the Warren County Court of Common Pleas. On the tape, the judge tells troopers he's an experienced judge who hears drunk driving cases, and that they will ruin his career and theirs' if they don't simply let him go. It would be the judge himself pleading for the troopers to let him go, even though the cruiser camera caught the Judge's car swerving and running a red light. Troopers arrested the judge after he failed a roadside sobriety test. The judge insisted he had passed, in his judgment, because he hears drunk driving cases from the bench. Troopers offered Judge Heath a breath test, which he refused.Judge: "Don't do this. Please don't do this. Don't do this. It will ruin my career ... it will ruin yours."Trooper: "You're under arrest for OVI."Judge: "Please don't do this. Please, please, please don't do this."Judge: "I can't believe you're doing this."Trooper: "Mr. Heath, stop."Judge: "I'm not Mr. Heath. I'm Judge Heath."Trooper: "I know you are, sir."Judge: "And you know what? I'm done now."Trooper: "I want to get you off the roadway, yes I do. And I've done that. I've done my job."Judge: "Let me call somebody to come pick me up. But don't do this. Don't do this."Trooper: "I've already told you, I did not put you in this position. You put me in this situation."Judge: "No, don't do this. You know what? This is going ... this is horrific. This is horrific."The 46-year-old judge pleased guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving in December. He avoided a 30-day jail sentence by attending an alcohol treatment program.As a result of the plea, Judge Heath was found not guilty of the original OVI charge .On the tape, Judge Heath says he had nothing to drink and that cancer treatment medication caused his impairment.
Footage Information
Source | CONUS Archive |
---|---|
Record ID | 300194 |
Story Slug | Asshole Judge Gets DUI, Begs - 2008 |
Location | DELAWARE, OHIO |
Format | DASHCAM |
Date | 10-25-2008 |
Archive Time | 00:00 |
TRT | 30:00 |
Video Description | NIGHTTIME DASHCAM WITH AUDIO, SUSPECT SWERVES ACROSS LANES THEN DRIVES THROUGH RED LIGHT, SUSPECT PULLS OVER IN GAS STATION PARKING LONG, DRIVER GETS OUT OF CAR, OFFICER APPROACHES DRIVER, OFFICER AND DRIVER WALK BEHIND SUSPECT’S CAR AND OUT OF FRAME, FIELD SOBRIETY TEST, SUSPECT IS READ HIS RIGHTS, SUSPECT PLEADS WITH THE OFFICER “PLEASE DON’T DO THIS, IT WILL RUIN MY LIFE!” SUSPECT STARTS FREAKING OUT AND SHOUTING, APPARENTLY THE SUSPECT CAN’T BELIEVE THEY ARE DOING THIS TO HIM, OFFICERS DRIVE THE SUSPECTS CAR FORWARD AND PARK IT, DASHCAM DRIVES AWAY, SUSPECT ESCORTED INTO POLICE STATION, |
Description | Late Thursday afternoon, 9News gained access to video of a Warren County Judge begging and threatening an Ohio State Trooper. Judge James Heath was pulled over in Wilmington in October 2008 after crossing the center line and running a red light. He was charged with drunk driving and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. The drunk driving suspect immediately identified himself to troopers as Judge James Heath of the Warren County Court of Common Pleas. On the tape, the judge tells troopers he's an experienced judge who hears drunk driving cases, and that they will ruin his career and theirs' if they don't simply let him go. It would be the judge himself pleading for the troopers to let him go, even though the cruiser camera caught the Judge's car swerving and running a red light. Troopers arrested the judge after he failed a roadside sobriety test. The judge insisted he had passed, in his judgment, because he hears drunk driving cases from the bench. Troopers offered Judge Heath a breath test, which he refused.Judge: "Don't do this. Please don't do this. Don't do this. It will ruin my career ... it will ruin yours."Trooper: "You're under arrest for OVI."Judge: "Please don't do this. Please, please, please don't do this."Judge: "I can't believe you're doing this."Trooper: "Mr. Heath, stop."Judge: "I'm not Mr. Heath. I'm Judge Heath."Trooper: "I know you are, sir."Judge: "And you know what? I'm done now."Trooper: "I want to get you off the roadway, yes I do. And I've done that. I've done my job."Judge: "Let me call somebody to come pick me up. But don't do this. Don't do this."Trooper: "I've already told you, I did not put you in this position. You put me in this situation."Judge: "No, don't do this. You know what? This is going ... this is horrific. This is horrific."The 46-year-old judge pleased guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving in December. He avoided a 30-day jail sentence by attending an alcohol treatment program.As a result of the plea, Judge Heath was found not guilty of the original OVI charge .On the tape, Judge Heath says he had nothing to drink and that cancer treatment medication caused his impairment. |
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