[music playing]
We're in Royal Oak, Michigan.
It's around 10:40 AM.
And police just witnessed the driver of this SUV
throw a cigarette out the window.
Moments later, the driver makes a turn without signaling,
then accelerates beyond the speed limit.
[police siren]
After officers pull the vehicle over,
they reportedly notice the odor of alcohol coming from inside.
The driver is then removed and ordered to perform
a set of field sobriety tests.
What I want you to do is I want you to focus
on the tip of my finger.
It's going to move side to side.
OK.
Focus on it with your eyes.
And keep your head still. OK?
OK.
Keep you head still.
What I want you to do is I want you to picture
an imaginary line in front of you.
Place your left foot on the imaginary line.
Now, you're gonna take nine heel to toe steps
out along that imaginary line counting your steps out loud.
You can start whenever you're ready.
I'm not gonna be able to do that.
You're not gonna be able to do it?
Do you want to try?
Let's call that strike one.
- Mm-hmm. - OK.
Go ahead when you're ready.
Oh.
OK.
There's strike two.
All I need you to do is wrap your lips around this tube,
and you're gonna blow through it just like this.
[machine makes noise]
[beep]
As they wait for the breathalyzer results,
the officer asks the driver a sobering question.
Do you think you should be driving right now?
Do you have kids?
No, I-- I have kids.
I--
I would'nt.
OK.
Can you read that out loud for me?
And strike three.
Yeah.
am.
What so far has been a pretty typical traffic stop
and arrest takes an interesting turn when the driver
tries to plead her case.
Is there any way--
I-- I-- I'm really gonna--
I-- I don't drink and drive.
Uh huh.
I'm running for an office right now.
OK.
This will [bleep] me up really bad.
I'm running for an office right now.
And not just any office.
49-year-old Julie McDonald is a local attorney.
And she's running for county circuit court judge.
This will [bleep] me up really bad.
No.
No, I understand.
Around 11:45 AM, McDonald arrives at the police station
and tells officers she'd consumed four vodka
drinks the night before and agrees
to another breathalyzer test.
This one reads .08, which is exactly Michigan's limit
and technically considered drunk driving,
but also falls within the test's .004 margin of error.
McDonald would later plead guilty to careless driving
and littering for tossing the cigarette out the car
window in exchange for the dismissal
of the drunk driving charge.
She was required to pay $2,000 in court fees,
continue daily testing for alcohol use,
and complete 40 days of community service.
As for her bid for county circuit court judge,
it was a success.
But eight months after she was arrested,
Michigan Supreme Court ordered a 45-day unpaid suspension
for her misconduct behind the wheel.