Judge faces drunk-driving charge after night of partying

A recently FINDLAY — appointed Lucas County Common Pleas court judge said he was out celebrating after overseeing his first jury trial last week when he was pulled over in Hancock County for allegedly driving under the influence, according to dashboard camera video provided to The (Toledo) Blade.

Alfonso J. Gonzalez, 50, of Maumee, was cited in Findlay Municipal Court on Sunday for operating under the influence and turn and stop sign violations early Sunday in a construction area on southbound I-75.

Dashboard camera footage provided to The Blade by the Ohio State Highway Patrol shows a trooper driving southbound on I-75 at about 1 a.m. Sunday. As the trooper comes up behind Gonzalez’s 2019 Jeep, the judge crosses two lanes to pull off an exit leading to West Main Cross Street without using his turn signal. The trooper follows Gonzalez’s vehicle and turns on his overhead lights, the video shows.

The Jeep brakes and pulls over — while half of the car is on the shoulder and the other half remains in the roadway. Gonzalez indicated he was “trying to get home,” though he indicated he lived in Maumee, according to the video.

As Gonzalez is removed from his vehicle, he informs the officer who he is.

“I hate to make this political and I don’t want to go there, I just got appointed judge by Gov. [Mike] DeWine in March and I was celebrating. I had one of my first jury trials this week. My brother-in-law called me down [to Findlay] so I came down. I just had a jury trial end Thursday,” Gonzalez said during the stop. “I’m so embarrassed. I’m not playing that card. I truly do not want to do that.”

Gonzalez said he and his brother-in-law, who was a passenger in the vehicle and apparently intoxicated, were coming from Denny’s after having breakfast, though they were at Fricker’s prior to that.

“I’m not asking for favors... it will kill me, it really will,” Judge Gonzalez said. “I just got appointed. Oh my God. I should not have come down here.”

Another trooper soon arrived to administer a sobriety test, and the initial trooper can be heard describing the judge as “hammered drunk.”

While some of the test was completed out of view of the camera, the trooper asked Gonzalez to follow his pen with his eyes and to count backward from 77.

Gonzalez can be seen attempting to walk along a line in front of the trooper’s cruiser, but he wavers and the trooper abruptly stops that portion of the test. The judge is then asked to hold his foot off the ground and he can barely stand up straight for two seconds without falling over, the video shows.

“I’m going to lose my job. I’m going to lose my job,” Gonzalez said as the trooper read the judge his rights. According to a copy of a ticket issued Gonzalez, he declined to provide a blood sample or a breath test.

Hancock County jail administrators said there was no booking information for Gonzalez, who grew up in the Findlay area. The judge told officers that his parents live about a mile away.

When asked if he intended to use his political power or position to get out of any charges, Gonzalez told The Blade Thursday, “absolutely not.”

“I was just letting them know. I would never do that because that’s a huge ethical violation ... I was just letting them know I am not some screwball,” he said.

Gonzalez told The Blade he was going to respect the process and not discuss specific allegations. He indicated he notified the Ohio Supreme Court about the incident.

“This doesn’t define me. I think in the four short months I’ve built up some good will here and I have a good relationship with the defense counsels, with the prosecutors — I fully intend to continue that. Certainly, this complicates that. But I’m human like everyone else,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez, a Republican, was arraigned Tuesday on the misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence in Findlay Municipal Court. His attorney, Drew Mihalik, filed written pleas of not guilty with the court, according to records. His case is being overseen by Findlay Municipal Court Judge Alan Hackenberg.

Mihalik said the investigation is being handled just like any other case.

On Tuesday, Hackenberg ordered that an administrative license suspension be stayed, or put on hold, until further court order. A pretrial hearing for Judge Gonzalez was set for Aug. 13.

Last week, Gonzalez oversaw a jury trial for Darius Washington, who was convicted of multiple-sex offenses. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Gonzalez had his own court docket to handle on Tuesday, but it was overseen by Judge Linda Jennings. He resumed his Thursday docket.

Lucas County Common Pleas Court Administrator Brian Patrick said Gonzalez is not on any sort of administrative leave.

“We’re just going to have to let the justice system play out. Anything more than that, I wouldn’t be able to comment,” Patrick said.

Ed Miller, a spokesman for the Ohio Supreme Court, said he could not provide additional information on issues that could potentially be investigated or disciplined by the court, which has authority over elected judges.

Mihalik and Lucas County Common Pleas Court officials said a potential misdemeanor conviction should not require the judge to step down from the bench.

Gonzalez previously held a seat as the Lucas County domestic relations magistrate until DeWine named him to fill the vacant seat at the common pleas court. He assumed the office March 18, filling the seat of Judge Gene Zmuda, who was elected to the 6th District Court of Appeals.

Gonzalez was one of three candidates selected to be interviewed by the governor.

Should Gonzalez seek to continue in his position, he will be required to run for re-election in 2020.

Lucas County Republican Chair Mark Wagoner said he was not in a place to comment Thursday as he had not reviewed the case with the judge.

A messages was also left for the Lucas County Democratic Party.