Minnesota Appeals Court Judge Sentenced to Probation for DWI Conviction

Owatonna, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge has been sentenced for a DWI conviction. 

Read More: Minnesota Appeals Court Judge Faces DWI Charges in Steele County 

She entered a plea agreement and received her sentence in Steele County Court Friday morning. DWI charges were filed against her on December 3. 

Judge Renee Lee Worke was charged with two counts of gross misdemeanor DWI following a traffic incident at the Hwy. 14 and Interstate 35 interchange in Owatonna on the night of November 29. 

The 67-year-old Owatonna woman was found in the driver’s seat of a vehicle that was stuck in a snowbank. The vehicle was eastbound on Highway 14 and was creating a road hazard, according to the criminal complaint. 

A responding Steele County Sheriff’s deputy observed that Worke’s eyes were glassy and her speech was slurred. The criminal complaint says a second deputy arrived at the scene and spoke with the judge, who stated that she was coming from Waseca after visiting with friends. 

Get our free mobile app

The complaint says Worke told law enforcement 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 charges 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. Her blood-alcohol concentration was measured at .16, double the legal limit for driving, the court document says. 

Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Sentenced to Probation for Misdemeanor DWI Conviction

Court records indicate Worke pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor fourth-degree DWI charge in the exchange for the dismissal of the gross misdemeanor DWI counts. 

She was sentenced to one year probation, 15 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $500 fine. 

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.