If there was ever a cautionary tale about how not to handle the optics when a judge becomes a defendant in the very system they oversee, the latest episode involving Thomas Ludington, the federal judge accused of driving “super drunk,” checks all the boxes.
The Eastern District of Michigan announced that Ludington, 72, has decided to voluntarily go on leave pending the resolution of his drunken-driving charges stemming from an October arrest that only recently came to public light. As noted in our prior coverage, the judge allegedly blew a 0.27 blood-alcohol level — more than three times the legal limit — after crashing his vehicle and reportedly offered “A, B, C, D, F, U” after he was asked to recite the alphabet from C to Q.
Reuters received the following comments from the Eastern District of Michigan concerning Ludington’s leave:
“Since the Court became aware of the charges, it has taken all appropriate steps to address the matter consistent with its obligations to the public, the federal judiciary, and of course, to Judge Ludington,” the district court said on Monday.
It said it “recognizes the seriousness of this matter” and that Ludington had volunteered to take a leave of absence. It added that the law “accords to every citizen the presumption of innocence, due process, and many other rights.”
The official court statement leans heavily into boilerplate about due process and presumption of innocence, but judges are not immune from scrutiny. When officers of the court end up on the other side of a criminal filing, it’s a moment for the judiciary not just to nod to due process but to demonstrate it in practice.
We’ve been here before with judicial misconduct stories that test public faith in the system. When a judge’s behavior becomes the news — especially for something like a DUI — transparency and swift accountability are expected (and often demanded). But in this case, there was a delay of months between the incident and widespread reporting, and in the interim, the judge continued hearing cases. That kind of lag isn’t great for public confidence.
Ludington — a George W. Bush appointee — has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol content of 0.17 or more and operating while intoxicated. His jury trial is scheduled for May 8.
Michigan federal judge charged with drunken-driving goes on leave [Reuters]
Earlier: ‘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’
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.
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