A federal judge in Michigan was ‘super drunk’ when he careered his Cadillac into two traffic signs late last year, police said.
Thomas Ludington, 72, was arrested in October of last year in Springvale Township, near his $2.7 million vacation home, after crashing his Cadillac.
Ludington, who is the US District Court Judge serving eastern Michigan, was arrested at the scene by state troopers after crashing into two traffic signs, according to The Detroit News.
The crash happened on a rural curved road, according to the outlet, with the collision causing his airbags to deploy.
The outlet reported that Ludington, despite a pending criminal case, has continued to hear cases for the last four months after his arrest.
He was later released on a $500 bond after being formally arraigned on October 6 by Emmet County District Judge Angela J. Lasher.
State laws in Michigan say that anyone caught intoxicated behind the wheel with their blood-alcohol above 0.17 is considered super drunk. The legal limit is 0.08.
Troopers said that he had a blood-alcohol level that exceeded 0.17, classifying him as such, the outlet said.
Ludington, pictured here, was arrested in October of last year in Springvale Township, near his $2.7 million vacation home, after crashing his Cadillac into traffic signs
Due to his blood alcohol level being above 0.17, Ludington was classified as being super drunk, under Michigan state law
According to public records Ludington resides in Midland County but owns another vacation home near the crash site in Harbor Springs.
He was hit with two charges, one of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and another of operating a vehicle with a high blood-alcohol content, both misdemeanors.
If convicted, he faces either 93 days in jail, a fine of $500, 360 hours of community service and prevented from driving for the second charge.
Should Ludington be found of the super drunk charge he could be hit with 180 days in jail, a fine of $700, 360 hours of community and be prevented from driving.
He is next set to appear in an Emmet County courtroom on February 9 for a status conference.
Ludington was nominated by President George W. Bush to the District Court before being confirmed in June of 2006.
In 2023 the American Bar Association handed him an award after he was recognized for exhibiting ‘exceptional qualities of civility, courtesy, and professionalism’.
The Daily Mail approached Ludington’s attorney in the case for comment.
