Inform, Entertain, Inspire
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Michigan Attorney General: Former St. Joseph County Prosecutor Pleads Guilty

Pixabay

Friday Michigan's Attorney General announced that the former St. Joseph County (Michigan) prosecutor has pleaded guilty to driving while visibly impaired. Charges were initially filed against John McDonough in May of 2020 after he crashed into a fence while driving. 

(You can read more in the Michigan Attorney General's release below.) 

LANSING – Following an incident last year in Lockport Township, former St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough has pleaded guilty to driving while visibly impaired and was sentenced to one year probation. 

McDonough appeared Thursday before Judge Vincent Westra in Kalamazoo County 8th District Court.

McDonough was previously charged by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and having open intoxicants inside a motor vehicle. Those charges have been dropped due to McDonough’s plea. 

The original charges stem from a May 11 incident in Lockport Township where McDonough allegedly crossed the centerline, veered off the roadway and crashed into a fence. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene and conducted the investigation. The results of a breath test for McDonough’s blood alcohol content conducted at the time of the incident were .06 and .07 percent. 

The fair and unbiased prosecution of crimes committed by elected and other public officials remains a top priority for Nessel, who has made public integrity a focus throughout her term as Attorney General. McDonough’s case is just one of several involving public officials and members of law enforcement that Nessel’s office has prosecuted due to requests from other agencies and prosecutors to avoid conflicts of interest.