County judge, wife convicted in hit-run crash that injured man

MARION — A county judge and his wife were convicted on multiple charges after they left the scene of a hitand-run crash that injured a 19-year-old man last week, the state Attorney General’s office announced Wednesday.

The verdict means Jason Warner, 50, who serves as a Marion County Common Pleas judge, will lose his post because state law bars a convicted felon from serving as a judge. He was elected in November 2018 but has been on a leave of absence.

Warner was found guilty of complicity to leave the scene of an accident and complicity to tampering with evidence. His wife, Julia, 53, who was driving the car, was also convicted on those charges and two counts of misdemeanor negligent assault. They are due to be sentenced April 14.

The charges stem from a crash in Marion last June. Authorities have said Julia Warner failed to yield while turning and collided with another vehicle, which then hit a utility pole. The couple then fled the scene in their vehicle moments later, and Julia Warner reported the crash to authorities about nine hours later.

Authorities have said the couple knew someone was seriously injured in the crash when they left the scene. The other driver, 19-yearold Colton Gray of Marion, suffered a head injury and had to be extricated from his vehicle.

The Warners left the courthouse without making a comment.

“It’s almost a cliche — the coverup is worse than the crime,” Attorney General Dave Yost said. “Here, the most serious crimes were what happened after the crash — and a sitting judge should have known better. This case shows that even the most powerful people are not above the law.”