Hit and Run Judge, Guilty

Reporter Dan Rozek at the Chicago Sun Times has this report about a local Judge involved in a hit and run.  Judge Kenneth Popejory (pic) entered a guilty plea and he still hopes to hold onto his job.  Here's the story:

"A DuPage County judge charged in a hit-and-run crash with a parked car pleaded guilty to reckless driving today while making his first court appearance. After his guilty plea to the misdemeanor offense, Judge Kenneth Popejoy was fined $500 and sentenced to six months of conditional discharge, a type of non-reporting probation.

Popejoy declined to comment directly after the court appearance, but said in a written statement that he accepts 'full and complete responsibility for my actions. I deeply regret my conduct in this matter and intend to rededicate myself to the principles and values in my life that have brought me so many blessings,’  his statement said.

He declined to comment further because of a pending review of the crash by the state’s Judicial Inquiry Board, which has the power to discipline judges for their conduct. His attorney, however, said the June 29 crash might be a result of mechanical problems with the 2003 Jeep that Popejoy was driving when he allegedly struck a parked car in west suburban Glen Ellyn.

Popejoy, 59, didn’t stop to report the 8:30 p.m. collision but continued on to his Wheaton home, though witnesses quickly reported the crash to police, including providing the license number of the vehicle that Popejoy was driving.  Defense attorney John Donahue said police officers who arrived at the judge’s home within minutes of the crash determined he was not 'impaired or intoxicated by anything.’

The swift guilty plea is an acknowledgement by Popejoy that he 'erred in judgement’ by not reporting the crash himself, Donahue said.

'He’s just depressed about the fact that in this case, he made the wrong decision,’ Donahue said.

Popejoy has been on the bench since 1997 and faces a retention vote this fall to retain his seat. Reckless driving carries a maximum punishment of one year in jail."
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Wow, your county judge crashes into a parked car and drives off, and still thinks the local citizens should retain him as judge?  That's pretty optimistic. 

My guess is the Illinois disciplinary authorities may have a few thoughts about his license. 

Mo. Lawyer Mows Down Local Man, Keeps on Going

According a report at the Springfield (Missouri) News-Leader:

An attorney from Mexico, Mo., is facing two charges in the hit-and-run death of man who was on a lawn mower. Mexico Public Safety Assistant Director Brice Mesko says James A. Clampitt was arrested Friday on charges of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident [on a Audrain County arrest warrant.]

The arrest came after a driver of an SUV hit and killed Richard Cobb on June 13.  Clampitt told KXEO radio earlier this year that he was driving the vehicle but said he was unaware until the next day that his vehicle had been involved in an accident.

Clampitt is free on a $100,000 personal bond.
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One can probably safely assume that the victim, Mr. Cobb, was not mowing at night, so one naturally wonders how it is that Mr. Clampitt will explain the concept of not knowing he killed Mr. Cobb who was astride a riding mower.  The further mystery is how it is that the radio station KXEO knew to ask Clampitt about the MVA (motor vehicle accident) and yet it took the local constabulary 6 weeks to get around to arresting the attorney?. 

I suspect that Mr. Clampitt was liquored-up (or in some other sort of altered state) when this killing occurred; and, that lawyer, Clampitt,  made the strategic legal decision that it was better not to report the accident, contemporaneously, for fear of what his blood tests would reveal.  We shall see.