Overview
- U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington pleaded no contest on Wednesday in Emmet County to a misdemeanor operating-while-intoxicated charge.
- Prosecutors agreed to drop a higher-level count tied to an elevated blood alcohol reading as part of the plea deal.
- The court set a May 13 sentencing date and ordered a substance-abuse assessment and a pre-sentence investigation by probation.
- Emmet County Prosecutor Mike Schuitema said he was pleased with the plea and said similar cases usually draw probation with treatment conditions.
- The case stems from an October crash near the judge’s northern Michigan home after a BAC reported above 0.17, a state threshold labeled “super drunk,” and a judicial misconduct complaint remains under review.