Investigation: Procedures Not Followed in Traffic Stop of Judge
NewsCentral Staff
Story Created:
Oct 1, 2012 at 5:50 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Oct 1, 2012 at 5:50 PM EDT
Officers involved in the traffic stop of Superior Court Judge Howard Simms did not follow proper procedures. That's according to a release from the Bibb County Sheriff's Department.
This comes following a meeting between Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena and his internal affairs investigators. The traffic stop occurred on the evening of Saturday, September 22, 2012.
According to the release, "Deputies did not follow proper procedures by not continuing with the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests." Those tests include the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, walk and turn test, and one legged stand test. Those were not performed.
An officer from an outside agency stopped Simms and noticed an odor of alcohol. The officer directed Judge Simms to a Bibb Sheriff's deputy to be checked for possible impairment. Simms blew into an Alco-sensor that showed a positive result of 0.083.
According to the release, "Internal Affairs Investigators determined that a Captain, who was on scene at the safety check, used poor judgment, by making a decision to follow Judge Simms to his residence."
Sheriff Modena will now decide on what disciplinary actions to take once the internal investigation is completed.
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