San Mateo County Judge Pleads Not Guilty to DUI

By Bay City News Service:

A San Mateo County judge pleaded not guilty in a Redwood City courtroom Tuesday to driving under the influence of alcohol on U.S. Highway 101 during Memorial Day weekend.

Police stopped Judge Joseph Scott, 63, who is the second-highest ranking judge in the county, as he was driving on Highway 101 in Redwood City at 12:30 a.m. on May 24, according to Redwood City police Lt. Sean Hart.

Officers arrested Scott for driving under the influence of alcohol and took him to the First Chance Sobering Station in Burlingame, where he was cited and released, Hart said.

Scott’s blood alcohol level was .12 percent, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. The legal driving limit is .08 percent.

Scott’s attorney, Richard Keyes, appeared for him in court Tuesday to enter a not guilty plea to misdemeanor drunken driving charges, Wagstaffe said.

Scott has been a superior court judge since 2003, and his current six-year term is set to expire in 2017. Scott is due in court on Sept. 24 for a pretrial conference and on Oct. 27 for a jury trial.