News
Perry County Judge Pleads Not Guilty To OVI/Hit Skip
By: Bill Rockwell | Perry County Tribune staff reporter
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A Perry County judge has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he had been driving under the influence when his vehicle struck a Columbus bus.
Dean Wilson, 60, entered his plea Monday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, also pleading no guilty to an allegation of hit/skip. He was charged by the Columbus Police Department after his Mercedes struck a public bus on Aug. 31.
According to the police report, Wilson was driving westbound on Spring Street in Columbus at 9:30 p.m. when the incident occurred, Wilson is then alleged to have left the scene of the accident and was pulled over later that evening on Interstate 70 near Brice Road. The report stated that Wilson refused to take either a breath or field sobriety test. No one was injured in the crash.
Wilson is facing misdemeanor OVI and hit-skip charges and has asked for a jury trial on both. Wilson’s attorney filed a motion to reinstate full driving privileges, alleging a clerical error in the original filing of paperwork. The court agreed and Wilson’s driving privileges were reinstated.
A judge has yet to be assigned and a date for the trial has not been selected.
It is not known if the charges will have an effect on Wilson’s ability to continue his work inside his courtroom. He has heard cases since the incident.