Dakota County Judge Pleads Guilty To DWI

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP/WCCO) -- Dakota County District Judge Michael Vann Sovis pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to third-degree DWI, according to officials.

Sovis, 63, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after smashing into three parked cars last Christmas Eve in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood.

He was sentenced to two years of probation and must pay a $500 fine.

According to a criminal complaint, at the time of the accident Sovis told officers that he drank six beverages containing vodka. Field sobriety tests showed he was impaired, the complaint said, because he had "great difficulty" completing a particular task after multiple attempts. In a preliminary breath test, Sovis blew a .225. In a later test, he blew a .28.

Sovis was booked into Ramsey County jail. He was released after posting $12,000 bond.

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