A newly-elected judge in Franklin County, Ohio was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence.
Judge Monica Hawkins, 54, was stopped by Pickerington Police on the night of January 31. Hawkins is a domestic relations/juvenile court judge.
On January 31, police Sgt. Chad Wallace responded to a emergency call about an erratic driver.
Hawkins pulled her Infiniti sedan over in the parking lot of a Subway after an officer activated the cruiser lights. Officer Mercedes Gavins wrote that Hawkins had nearly hit the curb, crossed lane markings, and had been making abrupt stops. Gavins also wrote in the report that the judge smelled like alcohol, and identified herself as a judge.
Judge Hawkins failed several field sobriety tests. Subsequently Judge Hawkins was arrested but once taken to the police station, she refused to sign a waiver of her Miranda rights and refused to submit to more tests.
\*\*\*Judge Monica Hawkins\*\*\*
A warrant had to be obtained to have the judge’s blood drawn. Judge Hawkins was taken to Ohio Health Hospital so police could get a blood alcohol sample, but she refused to provide the blood sample even after being advised of the warrant. Cops had to hold her down to get a blood sample.
Judge Hawkins had a blood alcohol content of 0.199 NBC news reports.
Hawkins was released to relatives, and plead guilty at her trial in Fairfield Municipal court. Judge Hawkins was sentenced to 90 days in jail, 87 of them suspended.
Hawkins must complete the remaining three days in a residential drivers intervention program. She was also fined $370 and given a one-year driving suspension with privileges to and from work, doctors, counseling appointments and child activities.
Hawkins, who ran in the primary election as a Democrat, was a Franklin County Children Services caseworker for a decade. She then earned her law degree and worked as a staff attorney for the agency. She also had been an assistant city prosecutor for Columbus, Ohio.
Hawkins was appointed as judge in January 2019.