When we last checked in with Judge Thomas L. Ludington (E.D. Michigan), the federal jurist had been accused of driving “super drunk” and was also staring down a judicial misconduct complaint. Back in February, he opted to take a voluntary leave of absence from the bench while his case moved forward. Now, there’s an update: Ludington has entered a no contest plea to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge stemming from the October incident.
The plea resolves the criminal case on more limited terms, with prosecutors dropping a higher-level charge tied to an elevated blood alcohol content. Bloomberg Law has additional details:
Ludington, 72, is set to be sentenced on May 13. He was ordered to undergo a substance abuse assessment and will be the subject of a pre-sentence investigation by the court’s probation department, Emmet County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Schuitema said. …
In cases such as Ludington’s, the court usually puts a defendant on probation with rehabilitation-focused conditions, said Schuitema, who added that he expected that for the judge.
“I’m pleased with the plea,” Schuitema said. “It’s going to hold Judge Ludington accountable for what he did.”
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Ludington has signaled that he intends to remain on the bench. His attorney, Jonathan B. Steffy of Harris Law, noted in a statement that “[t]his case was not as simple as it appeared to many, but the most important thing now, for all involved, is to move forward.” He went on, saying, that the judge “looks forward to continuing to serve the Federal Court at the highest level and focus on his work, along with his wife and family.”
With a judicial misconduct complaint still in play, the focus now shifts to how the judiciary polices its own, and whether the consequences here will extend beyond the criminal docket.
US Judge Stays on Bench After No Contest Drunk Driving Plea (2) [Bloomberg Law]
Earlier: Federal Judge Accused Of Driving ‘Super Drunk’ Crashes Into Judicial Misconduct ComplaintFederal Judge Accused Of Driving ‘Super Drunk’ Takes ‘Voluntary’ Leave From The Bench
‘A, B, C, D, F, U’: Field Sobriety Test For Federal Judge Who Allegedly ‘Urinated Himself’ Goes Remarkably Off Script
Federal Judge Arrested, Accused Of Driving While ‘Super Drunk’
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Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.