Appeals Court judge sentenced in DWI case
The Minnesota State Court of Appeals judge from Owatonna who was charged with drunk driving pleaded guilty Friday and was immediately sentenced in the case.
Renee Lee Worke, 67, originally faced two counts of gross misdemeanor third-degree DWI; one of the counts was later amended to a fourth-degree misdemeanor charge.
That’s the count Worke pled guilty to; the gross misdemeanor count was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Early in the case, Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie E. Hudson appointed Judge Adam Johnson, of the First Judicial District, to preside over court proceedings.
He sentenced Worke to 15 hours of community work service and placed her on one year of supervised probation.
He also ordered her to undergo a chemical dependency assessment, which Worke completed prior to Friday’s court appearance. The assessment included a recommendation to attend a 24-lesson alcohol and drug course, which Worke has already completed.
She also attended a Mothers Against Drunk Driving victim impact panel prior to sentencing.
Worke is prohibited from using alcohol and must submit to random testing and was fined $500.
Steele County Attorney Robert Jarrett, who prosecuted the case, issued a statement after Friday morning’s sentencing, which read, in part:
“… both the seriousness of the offense and the defendant’s response were considered. Judge Worke accepted responsibility at an early stage and proactively sought appropriate chemical health resources. Without consideration of position, status or potential collateral consequences, the State extended the standard Steele County resolution routinely offered to first-time DWI offenders with no prior record.
“This disposition is consistent with how similarly situated defendants are treated,” Jarrett wrote. “The one-year term of probation, including abstinence from alcohol, serves to protect public safety while ensuring continued oversight and accountability, and supports rehabilitation to prevent future impaired driving.”
The case against Worke began about 9:15 p.m. Nov. 29, when a Steele County Sheriff’s Office deputy found a vehicle stuck in a snowbank on eastbound U.S. Highway 14 at the Interstate 35 overpass in Owatonna.
The vehicle was “presenting a road hazard,” the report says.
The driver, later identified as Worke, had glossy eyes and slurred speech, the deputy noted.
A second deputy arrived and spoke to Worke, who said she was coming from Waseca.
According to the criminal complaint, Worke said she had one glass of wine about two hours earlier; when asked how she was feeling, she told the deputy, “I’m totally fine.”
The second deputy also noted Worke’s bloodshot, glossy eyes, and detected alcohol on her breath, court documents say, as well as “slurred speech and slow motor function.”
The complaint says an initial field sobriety test showed signs “consistent with impairment,” and Worke was detained for further DWI investigation.
Due to inclement weather – the area was in a winter storm warning – Worke was taken to the Steele County Detention Center to complete the field sobriety tests. She reportedly agreed to take a breath test, which the document says showed an alcohol concentration of .16. The legal limit to drive in Minnesota is .08.