Judge was twice the legal limit when she crashed car: Cops
Share and Follow

A Minnesota appeals court judge, Renee Lee Worke, who has served on the bench for nearly two decades, is now facing allegations of driving under the influence after reportedly crashing her vehicle into a snowbank. Her blood-alcohol content was allegedly recorded at twice the legal limit during the incident.

Renee Lee Worke

Left: Renee Lee Worke after her alleged drunk driving arrest (Steele County Jail). Right: Worke”s portrait for the Minnesota Court of Appeals (Minnesota courts).

According to court documents, Worke has been charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated. The Steele County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene shortly after 9 p.m. on November 29, following reports of a crash on Highway 14 near the Interstate 35 overpass in Owatonna, roughly 65 miles south of Minneapolis. Local news outlets, ABC affiliate KSTP and Fox affiliate KMSP, obtained the probable cause affidavit detailing the events.

Upon arriving at the scene, deputies observed Worke with glassy eyes and slurred speech, the affidavit reveals. She reportedly informed the officers that she had been at a friend’s house earlier, where she consumed a single glass of wine approximately two hours before the incident.

In response to inquiries about her condition, Worke allegedly reassured the deputy by stating, “I’m totally fine.”

“I’m totally fine,” she allegedly told the deputy when asked how she was feeling.

In addition to her slurred speech and glassy eyes, cops allege she also had a “slow motor function” and was unsteady on her feet. She reportedly needed help walking back to the squad car. She did not suffer any injuries in the car accident.

Worke submitted to a breathalyzer and she blew a 0.16 — twice the legal limit of 0.08.

The judge was taken to the Steele County Jail where she has since bonded out.

According to the Minnesota Law Library, Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty appointed Worke to the state Court of Appeals in the First Congressional District back in 2005. She was subsequently elected in 2012, 2018 and again last year. Her current term ends in 2031. Before her appellate appointment, she was a district judge for nearly a decade.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Mother of Missing Melodee Buzzard Reveals Startling Zoo Encounter: Claims Handing Over Daughter to Unknown Couple

Fresh insights have surfaced regarding the disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard from…

Appeal Extension Approved for Mark Sievers in High-Profile Murder Case of Beloved Doctor

A judge has approved an extension for the submission of closing arguments…

Tragic Shooting Claims Lives of Mother and Two Children Amid Divorce Proceedings

Inset: Charity Beallis (Facebook). Background: The home in Bonanza, Arkansas, where Beallis…

Police Report: Mother Allegedly Assaults 7-Year-Old Over Disrespectful Behavior

Left: Jennifer Revis. Right: Ryan Revis (Blackford County Jail). An unsettling case…

Tragic Discovery: Young Boy Returns from School to Find Mother Dead, Police Investigate

Inset: Violette Pierre (GoFundMe). Background: The home in Harrisburg, Pa., where cops…

Beauty Queen Receives Verdict in Dorm Room Toddler Homicide Case

Background: Trinity Poague reacts after she”s found guilty of murdering her boyfriend’s…

Jilted Lover Found Guilty of Deceptive Online Plot Leading to Woman’s Tragic Death

Michelle Reiter anticipated a magical first date, unaware of the grim fate…

Unveiling the Chilling Secrets of Dorothea Puente: The ‘Little Old Lady’ Behind Sacramento’s Notorious House of Horrors

Despite her warm and grandmotherly demeanor, California landlady Dorothea Puente concealed a…