UPDATE:
The Michigan Attorney General's office has announced that charges have been filed against St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough. McDonough initially tried to explain that he was having a "coughing fit" while driving and it caused him to crash into a fence this spring.
(You can read the Michigan Attorney General's release below.)
LANSING – St. Joseph County Prosecuting Attorney John Lawrence McDonough has been charged with drunken driving and having open intoxicants in a motor vehicle, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced today.
McDonough waived arraignment on the charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and having open intoxicants inside a motor vehicle. The charges follow a complaint and warrant brought by the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
Operating under the influence is a 93-day misdemeanor charge, while the open intoxicant charge is a 90-day misdemeanor.
The charges stem from a May 11, 2020 incident in Lockport Township. 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.
A written waiver of arraignment was filed on June 17 with the 3B District Court. Kalamazoo County District Court Judge Vincent C. Westra has been appointed by the State Court Administrator to preside over the proceedings. McDonough’s pre-
ORIGINAL POST:
CENTREVILLE, Mich. (AP) — A county prosecutor in southwestern Michigan who is accused of drunken driving told police that he crashed into a fence after a “coughing fit.” The incident involving St. Joseph County prosecutor John McDonough occurred Monday in Lockport Township. The recording of the 911 call was released Friday. McDonough said he needed a tow truck but then was able to remove his vehicle. The dispatcher told him that an officer was headed to the scene. McDonough, who faces re-election, hasn’t publicly talked about the crash. He has a court hearing next Thursday.