Minnesota Appeals Judge Faces DWI Charges in Steele County

Owatonna, MN (KROC-AM News) - A member of the Minnesota Court of Appeals is facing DWI charges in Steele County.

The criminal complaint filed this week indicates that 67-year-old Renee Worke of Owatonna was found in the driver’s seat of a vehicle that a Steele County Sheriff’s deputy discovered stuck in a snowbank on the night of November 29. The court document states that the vehicle was eastbound on Highway 14 at the I-35 overpass in Owatonna and was creating a road hazard.

Deputies Detail Signs of Impairment

According to the charges, the deputy observed that the driver’s eyes were glassy and her speech was slurred. The criminal complaint says a second deputy arrived at the scene and spoke with Worke, who stated that she was coming from Waseca after visiting with friends.

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The deputy indicated that Worke responded to a question about alcohol consumption by saying she had one glass of wine approximately two hours earlier and that she was “totally fine.” The court document says the second deputy also noted that her eyes were bloodshot and glassy and detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath.

The deputy also described Worke’s balance as unsteady and said she required assistance while walking back to a squad car. At that point, she was detained for further investigation and was transported to the Steele County Jail.

BAC Tested at Double the Legal Limit

The criminal complaint says a preliminary breath test measured her blood-alcohol concentration at .16, double the legal limit for driving.

Worke is charged with two counts of gross misdemeanor DWI. Her formal arraignment on the charges has yet to be scheduled.

Two Decades of Service on the Appeals Court

Judge Worke was appointed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals in 2005 after serving as a judge in Waseca County Court for about 9 years. Her current term on the Court of Appeals runs through 2030.

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