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Travis County judge overseeing drunken driving cases pleads guilty to DWI

Judge John Lipscombe presides over drunken driving cases. He will serve just one day in jail.

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas — A Travis County judge who presides over drunken driving cases will serve just one day in jail after pleading guilty Thursday to driving while intoxicated, according to KVUE's news partners at the Austin American-Statesman.

Lipscombe, who has presided over the Travis County Court-at-Law No. 3 since January 2011, was recently charged with a Class B misdemeanor DWI. He has not returned to his post since the May arrest but has expressed intent to return in the future.

According to the Statesman, his attorney, Randy Leavitt, said Lipscombe has "accepted responsibility for his actions and looks forward to serving the remainder of his term working for the people of Travis County."

Citing his attorney, the Statesman reported that the judge spent 60 days undergoing inpatient treatment and he will follow up for 60 more days in outpatient treatment. Leavitt did not expand on what that treatment entails.

The DWI charge stemmed from a verbal parking lot altercation at an Austin-area hotel. A man called 911 to report that Lipscombe was attempting to back into a parking space when he almost hit the man's car. Lipscombe then reportedly drove around the parking lot and eventually parked in a handicap space in front of the hotel.

When officers met with Lipscombe in the lobby, they said he "appeared slow to answer questions and was overall disoriented." Officers also noted his slurred speech and a faint odor of alcohol.

Police said Lipscombe was argumentative and refused a preliminary breath test. A blood test was eventually administered, leading to the DWI charge.

Read the Statesman's full report here.

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