NEWS

Judge Wilson's OVI charge dismissed

Patrick O'Neill
poneill@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

Perry County Judge Dean Wilson announces final certification of New Direction Drug Court

ZANESVILLE – Attorney Jon Saia deals exclusively with OVI offenses.

He's watched thousands of videos to gather evidence in his clients' defense, but the footage captured by Columbus police during their Aug. 31 arrest of Perry County Judge Dean Wilson was atrocious, he said.

"The officers discussed it on their microphones, they said, 'Should we let them drive the car home?' " Saia told the Times Recorder. "They told a woman who doesn't drink that she was too drunk to drive."

Wilson was charged Aug. 31 with OVI and hit-skip after crashing a black Mercedes into a bus in downtown Columbus. Saia said the drunken driving charge was dismissed Wednesday morning because Wilson "was not impaired." Wilson pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, an admission that Saia said was more misunderstanding than malice.

Franklin County Court Judge James Green suspended Wilson's 180-day jail sentence. He also ordered Wilson to pay a $375 fine and adhere to a nine-month license suspension, which includes limited driving privileges.

Wilson referred all questions to his attorney.

Saia said his client had one drink just after 6 p.m. in High Park, followed by a complete meal, dessert, coffee and water. Video submitted by the bus company shows Wilson driving through a construction zone around 9:30 p.m. He attempts to merge through a set of cones and makes contact with the bus.

"It was just a bad situation waiting to happen," Saia said. "As he went to the left lanes, the mirror on the car he was driving basically touched the tire of the bus."

Saia said there was no damage to the bus, and the only damage to the Mercedes was a shattered mirror cover.

Both vehicles pulled over, Saia said. Neither driver exited their vehicle, so after about three minutes Wilson "basically figured he'd contact (the bus company) in the morning."

A police helicopter aided in the search for the vehicle, and officials found Wilson 12 miles away on Interstate 70 eastbound near Brice Road.

Wilson refused breath and field sobriety tests, and he was taken to the Columbus Division of Police station.

Wilson was held at a Columbus jail overnight. The car was towed, leaving the three remaining occupants stranded, Saia said.

Saia said Wilson never tried to use his position of power to gain sway with law enforcement officials.

City Prosecutor Glenn Willer did not respond to the Times Recorder's request for comment.