A judge in Warren, Michigan, is facing a DUI charge after he allegedly struck a SMART bus with a blood alcohol content twice the state’s legal limit. While the incident happened months ago, the local police department has recently released bodycam footage, in which the judge is seen struggling to say the ABCs.
As reported by The Detroit News, the incident occurred back on March 25, 2026. Before midnight, a driver, later identified as 63-year-old John Chmura, a judge with a three-decade-long career, had allegedly rear-ended a SMART bus in Sterling Heights.
Shortly after, officers with the Sterling Heights Police Department responded to the area. Two passengers inside the bus were injured. Fortunately, they only required on-scene injuries as these were not serious.
Then, a responding SHPD officer approached Chmura’s vehicle. As seen in the footage shared below, the 63-year-old exited his vehicle and, shortly after, he identified himself as a judge in Warren’s 37th District Court.
Field Sobriety Tests
After identifying himself, the officer asked Chmura how much he had to drink. The judge, as seen in the bodycam footage, answered, “Evidently too much.” Reportedly, he had previously been at a fundraiser where he allegedly consumed alcohol.
Initially, Chmura didn’t want to do the sobriety tests or undergo a preliminary breathalyzer test, citing his 30-year career, as per the police. He would ultimately agree to submit himself to both, starting with the sobriety tests, not before he was placed in handcuffs.
The 63-year-old judge was seen struggling to count backwards. Then, he would also have issues while reciting the alphabet, with the footage showing him struggling to get past the “I” twice.
Arrested and Charged
A police report cited by The Detroit News detailed that officers allowed Chmura to take the preliminary breathalyzer test. He allegedly blew a 0.16, later confirmed by a blood alcohol content (BAC) test to be 0.19. In Michigan, the legal limit is 0.08, meaning Chmura’s BAC was more than twice the legal limit.
On top of the details shared above, the police said Chmura was “visibly impaired.” One officer wrote in his report that he was unsteady, slurred his speech, and smelled like alcohol.
Judge John Chmura was arrested. On May 20, almost two months later, he was charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.17 or more. If convicted, he could face up to a year behind bars.
The Response
Chmura’s defense attorney, David Kramer, was contacted by several members of the media. Kramer didn’t comment on the case’s specifics and instead praised Chmura’s career, calling him an “outstanding judge.”
“Things are going to play out as they are,” he said. “He’s got a very strong track record as being an outstanding judge, and we’re going to deal with the case as it comes.”
Currently, the St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office is handling Chmura’s case. As Chmura oversees cases in Macomb County, the prosecutor’s office, due to a conflict of interest, recused itself.