Charlotte judge pleads to DWI

Superior Court Judge Karl Adkins has been placed on probation after pleading guilty in Randolph County to driving while impaired.

The Charlotte judge, 62, was also fined $50 and ordered to perform 24 hours of community service.

"It was in my best interest and in the best interest of the system I work for to plead guilty," Adkins said. "I shouldn't have been driving after consuming beer."

Adkins, appointed to his seat by Gov. Mike Easley in 2005, was arrested in October and charged with DWI and speeding.

The judge had an alcohol level of 0.08 percent, according to court records. It's against the law in North Carolina to drive with an alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher. The judge was also accused of driving 83 mph in a 55 mph zone.

Last month, Adkins entered an "Alford" plea" to the DWI charge, allowing him to plead guilty without admitting he was in fact guilty. Prosecutors dismissed the speeding charge.

Eric L. Muller, a professor at UNC Chapel Hill's law school, said judges convicted of drunken driving should not be presiding over DWI trials to avoid any risk of unfairness -- actual or perceived.

If judges don't remove themselves, Muller said, defense lawyers and prosecutors might ask the judge to recuse himself to make sure they're getting a fair trial.