A Lucas County Common Pleas judge has been charged with operating a vehicle under the influence in Hancock County, according to court documents.
Alfonso Gonzalez, 50, said during the traffic stop that he didn't want to "make this political," but mentioned that he was recently appointed as a judge in Lucas County by Gov. Mike DeWine. He brought up his judgeship twice during the stop.
The following is a transcript from the Ohio State Highway Patrol dash camera of the incident:
(4:15 mark:) "I'm gonna tell you who I am. Sorry," Gonzalez says.
"Alfonso Gonzalez?" the trooper responds.
"Yes," the judge says.
"OK. Do I need to know more than that?" the trooper asks.
"Well, yeah. I mean. I hate to make this political, and I don't want to go there, but I just got appointed judge in Lucas County by Governor DeWine in March. And I was celebrating - I had my first jury trial this week - my brother-in-law called me down so I came down. Just had a jury trial end Thursday," Gonzalez says.
The arresting officer calls back on his radio asking, "Who's the duty officer?"
A few seconds go by and Gonzalez speaks again.
"I mean I hate to play, I'm not playing that card. I really truly do not want to do that," Gonzalez said.
"You'd just been appointed judge ..." the trooper says, trailing off.
"In March '18. Lucas County Common Pleas Judge," Gonzalez answers.
"My God. I was sitting at home. My brother-in-law called me out, he was like, 'Come down.'
"I shoulda stayed home."
The arresting officer again radios information back regarding Gonzalez and instructs him to stay put.
"Stay right here for me, 'mmkay?
About a minute goes by, and Gonzalez is heard quietly whispering to himself.
"Oh my God, I'm dead, I'm so dead," the trooper's audio picks up.
The trooper is heard coming back to the patrol vehicle in which Gonzalez is waiting. Gonzalez tells him that his parents live about a mile down the road from where they're stopped.
"I understand that, but I gotta job to do," the trooper responds. "I understand," Gonzalez replies.
The trooper then says that he's going to have someone else come to the scene of the traffic stop to handle the rest of the proceedings.
"Why? Why can't you handle it?" Gonzalez asks.
The trooper says he can, but he's the supervisor and he'll have someone else handle it.
"I'm not asking for favors, " Gonzalez says, "I'm just saying, you guys, it would kill me. It really will. I just got appointed. Oh, my God. I should not have come down to Findlay."
"How come you came down to Findlay?" the trooper asks.
"My brother in law called me down," Gonzalez said, and sighs deeply. "Just, just, we were bored. Not doing anything. I was at the house. Nothing, I mean nothing special."
The trooper again tells Gonzalez to stay put and he exits the vehicle. The trooper is heard calling back in the status.
"The driver, he is hammered drunk. Here's the thing with it, though: He's a Lucas County Common Pleas judge. ... Alfonso Gonzalez. His brother lives here; his parents live like a mile from here," the trooper says.
"Why did I do this? Why did I come down here," Gonzalez can be heard saying simultaneously.
The video also reveals the presence of a passenger. The trooper is asked on the status of the passenger.
"Passenger drunk?" the trooper repeats back. "Ehh, not as bad as him."
Another trooper is heard coming in to the traffic stop.
"Hey, good morning. Do you own the vehicle?"
"Yes, I'm leasing it," Gonzalez says.
"Where are you guys trying to go?"
"About a mile down the road," Gonzalez responds. "My parents live there. I came down. My brother in law called me down. I mean, it's a big mistake. I should have been in Lucas County. I'm a judge there. I'm not trying to play that up, but..."
"Oh, in Lucas County, you said?" the second trooper says.
"Lucas County. Common Pleas. Yeah," Gonzalez says.
"And who is the passenger with you? I just came out, so I'm trying," the trooper says.
"My brother-in-law, Mark. He's the one who called me down. Mark Sanchez," Gonzalez responds.
Gonzalez says they were at Fricker's and then went to Denny's and had breakfast.
The trooper then has Gonzalez exit the vehicle to check his eyes and started a field test.
According to Findlay Municipal Court documents, Gonzalez was driving a 2019 Jeep SUV southbound on I-75 on Sunday, when he was stopped and cited for OVI.
He refused a blood alcohol concentration test, court documents show. He was issued a summons to appear at Findlay Municipal Court on Tuesday.
Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to the charge in the Findlay court on Tuesday.
He now is set to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on Aug. 13 at 8:45 a.m.
Judge Alan Hackenberg was assigned to his case.
Gonzalez took Gene Zmuda's place in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.
An administrator with Lucas County Common Pleas Court says Gonzalez is still serving on the bench at this time.